Food & Beverage Asia February/March 2022

FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022
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Biting truths: Overcoming food fraud along the supply chain
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2
CONTENTS
14 10
24
20
MARKET INSIGHTS
31
14 The long haul: Ensuring a robust food
system in Asia
BITING ISSUES
17 Angel Yeast / Alland & Robert
18 Oterra / Synergy Flavours
16 Sufresca / Elysium Health
19 International Stevia Council
20 Kerry
21 Sweet Victory
22 Dolcas Biotech
23 Ohly / Blue California
INGREDIENTS
24 Innovating better with smart carbohydrates
26 Collagen-rich tissues support immune health
29 Mapping Asia’s flavour profile
ON THE TABLE
31 A gateway to less waste: SATS accelerates towards
sustainable food waste management
33 Biting truths: Overcoming food fraud along the
supply chain
35 Positive ageing: How food manufacturers can help
senior consumers
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

CONTENTS 3
44
46
37
PROCESSING AND PACKAGING
37 Collaboration in canning: KHS and Ferrum adopt
an integrative role in hygienic machine design
40 Eco-friendly packaging is more than just a trend
42 Reading the market: Three key consumer trends
spurring innovation in confectionery processing
technology
44 Beefing up F&B manufacturing facility with
automation and digital technologies
46 How seed and grain processors can profit from the
latest sorting technologies
49 Delivering better–for–you nut snacks with
comprehensive systems
51 Metal detection, x-ray – Or both?
56 HP / Napasol
57 Waddington Europe / Empa
58 igus
59 Cortec Corporation / Syntegon Technology
60 Krones
SHOW PREVIEW
63 FOOMA JAPAN 2022 returns to Tokyo after three years
REGULARS
4 Editor’s Note
FIRST LOOKS
54 Borealis / Clarifruit
55 Grundfos
6 News
61 Events Calendar
64 Advertisers’ Index
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

4
EDITOR’S NOTE
Evolving times,
unwavering goals
PABLO SINGAPORE
Publisher
Publications Director
William Pang
williampang@pabloasia.com
Jamie Tan
jamietan@pabloasia.com
Agatha Wong
Assistant Editor
Climate change, the digital age, and a new
COVID-19 variant: these are some of the
issues that continue to challenge the food
and beverage industry. As the industry sets its
sights on the new year and beyond, change and
adaptation is necessary to keep up in this fastpaced
world, from processing and packaging to
innovative functional ingredients.
We spoke with James Zhou, CCO and head of
Asia at Louis Dreyfus Company, regarding food
insecurity and its continued impact on the region. Speaking in reference
to Singapore, one of the most food secure countries in Asia, he remarked
how “investing in local food production and exploring untapped
resources to ensure stronger food resilience” is key to fortifying food
security in the region (p.15).
On the other hand, BENEO has been enabling older consumers to lead
healthier lives through their line of positive ageing products. As the
global ageing population continues to move towards an upward trend,
manufacturers can reach out and support this demographic and meet
their advanced nutritional needs: “a deeper understanding of the popular
communication channels for the positive ageing group is essential to
ensure effective communication of the health benefits of manufacturers’
products to consumers” (p. 36).
Meanwhile, Agilent has been supporting producers in the industry to
combat food fraud through the use of cutting-edge technology such
as mass spectrometry. In collaboration with the Singapore’s Agency for
Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), the company has persisted
to “deliver new technology and scientific workflow solutions to the food
industry, and find innovative ways to collaborate and discover safe and
secured food solutions” (p. 34).
Last but not least, with growing demand for on-the-go meals and
sustainable solutions, Bostik has turned to compostable packaging and
adhesives for the best of both worlds. Benefitting both the plant and
business, these green solutions can generate sustainable end-of-life
options while also meeting performance and quality requirements.
With the opening of a new chapter in this new year, we hope to deliver to
our readers greater and more insightful stories and developments at the
fore of the industry.
LET’S CONNECT!
@foodandbeverageasia
Senior Editor
Assistant Editor
Graphic Designer
Circulation Manager
PABLO BEIJING
General Manager
PABLO SHANGHAI
Editor
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FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

6
NEWS
DSM launches new food and beverage business group
Royal DSM has revealed its new integrated
food and beverage operating structure
which unifies three areas of DSM’s nutrition
business – food specialties, hydrocolloids,
and part of its nutritional products group
– to closely align with emerging customer
and market needs. The new business group
combines the company’s full range of
food and beverage ingredients, expertise
and science-based solutions that improve
the taste and texture of foods, as well
as support healthier lives and planet.
DSM’s strategy aims to support market
advancement through the creation of one
food and beverage business group that
encompasses the ingredients, global
and local expertise and solutions
provided by its previously distinct
food specialties, hydrocolloids, and
nutritional products business areas.
The structure harks back to DSM’s
announcement in September 2021 that
the company will become a fully-focused
health, nutrition, and bioscience company.
By establishing a one-stop-shop of
ingredients, solutions and end-to-end
capabilities, DSM aims to help food and
beverage manufacturers worldwide
fast-track product development and
achieve efficient production.
DSM has nutritional science expertise and
deep application knowledge, paired with
advocacy for healthier and more sustainable
food systems. With its recent acquisitions –
including First Choice Ingredients, a supplier
of dairy-based savoury flavourings – DSM
can elevate its taste, texture and health
offering for customers. DSM can thus help
manufacturers deliver delicious, nutritious
and sustainable food and beverage products.
DSM’s solutions help improve process efficiencies,
reduce food loss and waste and lower the
environmental impact of production and
consumption – while also enhancing food’s
nutritional profile. As part of this, DSM is developing
specialty proteins, including CanolaPRO; and
supporting producers to be at the forefront of
protein diversification. DSM’s recent acquisition
of Vestkorn Milling, a supplier of pea- and beanderived
proteins, starches and dietary fibres, also
complement and further accelerate this growth. ■
Symrise expands portfolio of custom taste solutions with
acquisition of Giraffe Foods
Symrise has acquired Giraffe Foods,
a Canadian producer of customised
sauces, dips, dressings, syrups and
beverage concentrates for B2B
customers in the home meal replacement,
food service and retail markets.
With this transaction, Symrise will provide
a wider variety of advanced taste solutions
to a larger customer base in North America,
accelerating growth in the region for
Symrise’s flavour and nutrition segment. In
their fiscal year ended June 2021, Giraffe
Foods saw an increase in sales above 25%,
generating revenues of approximately
CA$80m. The closing of the transaction
is expected before the end of 2021.
Through this acquisition, Symrise has
strengthened its market position with
a fast-growing customer base in North
America and will benefit from Giraffe
Foods’ high degree of customer intimacy.
Additionally, moving further down the
value chain will facilitate access to and
further develop new capabilities, including
advanced food science and culinary
expertise, proprietary recipes as well as
new and sustainable packaging formats.
Giraffe Foods is a player in the formulation
and manufacturing of custom taste
solutions in a wide array of packaging.
Through its advanced R&D and
culinary capabilities, it formulates and
produces sauces, dressings, syrups,
and more. In addition, customers
also value Giraffe Foods for their wide
options of packaging and broad range
of processing capabilities housed in
state-of-the-art facilities. The food
service, value-added protein and
home meal replacement sectors have
historically seen strong growth in
both North America and Europe.
Symrise will acquire 100% of Giraffe
Foods from private investment
firm Graham Partners and the
founding Powell family. As part
of the transaction, Symrise will
acquire the existing two production
facilities and one warehousing site
and integrate the approximately
250 employees of Giraffe Foods. ■
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

8
NEWS
Oterra acquires Food Ingredient Solutions
Oterra has acquired Food Ingredient
Solutions, an American producer of
colours and natural antioxidants.
The company serves more than 400
customers annually and has two
processing facilities located in Teterboro,
New Jersey, and Marshfield, Missouri.
Oterra continues its strong growth
with multiple complementary bolt-on
acquisitions since its inception, including
the acquisition of SECNA Natural
Ingredients Group and Diana Food’s
colouring business in Europe earlier in 2021.
Food Ingredient Solutions will mark its first
US-based acquisition, strengthening its
on-the-ground international presence and
creating meaningful synergies with Oterra.
“North America is one of the fastest growing
natural colours markets, and this acquisition
puts Oterra in a great position to
further support our customers in the
conversion towards natural colours,”
said Cees de Jong, chairman of Oterra.
Jeff Greaves, founder and CEO of Food
Ingredient Solutions, will join Oterra.
“We look forward to welcoming the
Food Ingredient Solutions team to
Oterra. They will join a strong
team of dedicated natural colour
specialists from around the world,
and their addition will be met
with excitement, especially from
our US employees as we further
strengthen our US position,” said
Odd Erik Hansen, CEO of Oterra.
This transaction was signed and
completed in December 2021. ■
American hop supplier builds new European fulfilment centre
in Belgium
In an effort to better serve the global
brewing community, Yakima Chief Hops,
(YCH), a grower-owned hop supplier, has
completed construction of a facility in
Belgium with a cold storage warehouse,
taproom, homebrew production line
and 1800-panel solar array.
YCH has been supplying brewers
worldwide with quality hops for more
than 30 years. Developing some of the
most cutting-edge products in the market,
YCH has become a driver for creativity and
innovation in the global beer industry.
The expansion into Europe will greatly improve
the YCH customer experience, including increased
access to their extensive portfolio of products
and varieties as well as improved logistics and
faster delivery times to brewery customers.
Located in Mont Saint Guibert, the
6,600sqm warehouse includes cold
storage capacity to house up to 8,800
pallets of hops, office space, a taproom
and a visitor centre where customers
can learn about hops and sample
beers using YCH products. YCH also
invested in a homebrew production
line allowing the ability to offer highquality
hop pellets in smaller size
packaging for home and nano brewers.
The facility was also designed with
sustainability in mind, as it supports
an 1800-panel solar array, producing
750MW of energy, or about half of the
building's total consumption. The green
construction, design and operation
plan centres around waste diversion,
water conservation and healthfulness
of interior spaces. The building
runs on renewable energy and uses
higher efficiency fixtures that reduce
energy and water consumption. ■
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

NEWS 9
Blendhub and Nucaps sign agreement to develop personalised
functional ingredients for the nutrition and health industries
Blendhub and Nucaps have signed
a strategic alliance to develop
personalised functional ingredients
for the nutrition and health industries.
The former is a multi-localised food
production network; the latter is
a nanotechnology development
platform that was created in Spain.
Nucaps and Blendhub work with
complementary technologies and both
stand out not only for their innovations
in the segment of functional ingredients
and personalised nutrition, but also for
their service-based business models.
With this alliance the two platforms
will be able to share their technological
developments, infrastructure and
knowledge in order to continue
innovating and capturing growth in
the health and nutrition industries.
Nucaps has developed an encapsulation
technology for the industrial development
of nanocapsules and biocapsules for
bioactives and probiotics. These natural
protein capsules improve the preservation
of the active ingredients, providing them
with greater efficacy and stability, and
are free of preservatives. In addition, the
technological capacity of Nucaps enables the
personalisation of food products and adaptation
of developments to an infinite number of
substances, applications, and final recipes.
These microencapsulated powdered ingredients
such as antiooxidants, probiotics, flavours,
essential oils, vitamins and more, can be
introduced into all types of food matrices
and provide additional nutrients to improve
health, for example, to strengthen the
immune system, prevent obesity, regulate
metabolism or delay ageing, among others.
On the other hand, Blendhub provides
Nucaps and its customers with its foodas-a-service
platform toto help food
companies design, produce and launch
innovative food products globally. In addition,
Blendhub offers Infrastructure-as-a-service
to produce locally, closer to raw materials
and final consumers, through a network of
portable factories, now on four continents;
and finally, it will facilitate the validation of
new ingredients and formulations through
Chemometric Brain's software-as-a-service. ■
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10
NEWS
Mondi wins nine WorldStar Packaging awards
Mondi has clinched nine recognitions at the
WorldStar Packaging Awards 2021, affirming
the company's efforts in sustainable
packaging innovations and commitment
to creating circular driven solutions.
“Our EcoSolutions approach means we
always evaluate the best solutions for our
customers, our planet and the end-user,
using paper where possible, plastic when
useful. Thanks to extensive collaboration
with our customers, being honoured with
nine WorldStar awards shows we are moving
in the right direction. With sustainability
firmly at the centre of our strategy, and
ambitious sustainability commitments as
part of our MAP2030 framework, we are
determined to make our flexible packaging
part of a circular economy.” said Thomas
Ott, CEO designate, flexible packaging
and engineering materials, Mondi.
“In 2021, half of the awarded products are
part of our ecommerce offering, which
reflects the great opportunities we are
seeing to partner with our customers in
this area. With our network of more than
100 in-house packaging designers, we
are setting new standards in the industry
both in terms of sustainability and product
design,” said Armand Schoonbrood,
COO, corrugated solutions, Mondi.
Mondi’s 2022 WorldStar award winners
are, in the ecommerce category: X-FOLD
Box by Mondi corrugated solutions
(Mondi Warszawa, Poland); TwistMailer
by Mondi corrugated solutions (Mondi
Bupak, Czech Republic); SoapPackaging
by Mondi corrugated solutions
(Mondi Bad Rappenau, Germany)
The winners of the point-of-sale category is
ToolBox XL by Mondi corrugated solutions
(Mondi Grünburg, Austria), while the
winners of the packaging materials and
components category are EcoWicketBag
by Mondi consumer flexibles and
Mondi paper bags, and FunctionalBarrier
Paper by Mondi functional paper and
films and Mondi specialty kraft paper
The food category was won by WalletPack
by Mondi consumer flexibles, and the fresh
fruits and vegetables category by CoralTray
by corrugated solutions (Mondi
Grünburg, Austria).
A special award for sustainability and
category transit was awarded to the (Un)-
Lock System by Mondi corrugated solutions
(Mondi Eschenbach, Germany) ■
SCANLAB integrates polygon scanner business from Belgium
TecInvest Holding, the parent company
of SCANLAB and Next Scan Technology
(NST), is realigning its organisation in
the polygon scanner segment. NST will
be integrated into the Puchheim-based
scan system experts at the beginning
of 2022. SCANLAB's experienced sales
team will handle product marketing
and customer service. Operating under
the name SCANLAB BV, the team of
developers in Belgium will now be
able to focus exclusively on further
evolution of the polygon scanners.
Polygon scan systems are renowned
for their high scan speeds, and are
designed for line-by-line, flatline-byline,
flat laser processing of diverse
materials. By using polygon scanners,
industrial productivity can be sped up in
applications such as micro-structuring
of touchscreens and solar cells, or
processing of electronic components.
The polygon scanner segment is a futureoriented
field which, due to its technological
complexity, places high demands on
sales and development. In order to bundle
resources and better meet individual
customer needs in the future, TecInvest
Holding has chosen to consolidate its
capabilities in this segment. The former
NST polygon competence centre will be
integrated into the SCANLAB Group.
Operating under the new name SCANLAB
BV and as part of the SCANLAB
development division, NST's experienced
Belgian based R&D team will focus on
the further development of polygon scan
systems, while SCANLAB will takes over
marketing, sales and support activities.
"I can see only advantages in the
reorganisation of the polygon scanner
business. We can now process specific
customer inquiries more quickly and
effectively, and our technology experts
are free to concentrate fully on the
technical side of things," explained
Dr Holger Schlüter, head of business
development at SCANLAB and the new
contact for polygon scanners. ■
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

NEWS 11
Strategic partnership between BenLink and Alfa Laval to
expand services in the food and energy industries
BenLink, a company owned by the Swiss
technology group Bühler, has announced its
strategic partnership with Alfa Laval, one of
the world’s leaders in heat transfer, centrifugal
separation, and fluid handling, who offers its
products and services to various industries
in some 100 countries. With this partnership,
Alfa Laval will have access to BenLink’s
digital crowd platform and network of over
4,000 local and qualified field technicians.
The collaboration enables Alfa Laval to provide
more services to its customers mainly in the
food and selected energy applications for heat
transfer technology and achieve faster reaction
times and secure higher uptimes, therefore
providing an even better customer experience.
By using the BenLink crowd platform, Alfa
Laval can optimise total cost of ownership
(TCO) and reduce the CO2 footprint of its global
service organisation through minimising travel
distances and avoiding travels altogether.
Furthermore, Alfa Laval will have access to
BenLink’s global crowd platform to easily order
and deliver services, using the vast network
of over 4,000 local field technicians based in
Europe, UK, US, and India. The technicians
are qualified and specifically trained with
knowledge of Alfa Laval’s technologies. They
are coordinated and supported through digital
end-to-end processes, while delivering realtime
maintenance and support under the
supervision of Alfa Laval’s technical experts.
“Over the last 12 months we have built a strong
relationship and we are eager to bring this to
a new level by supporting Alfa Laval in Europe
and the US in growing their service business
significantly,” stated Riccardo Semadeni, CEO
of BenLink. “This partnership will strengthen
BenLink’s ecosystem and facilitate further
expansion of our global service crowd,
while addressing new industry segments.
It also sets the foundation for the joint
development of new and innovative services,
using the latest digital technologies.”
Nish Patel, president of the food and
water division at Alfa Laval, said: “With this
collaboration, combining our technical
expertise with their network, we will get
more feet on the street and will be able to
deliver high quality service and maintenance
even closer to our customers.” ■
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FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

12
NEWS
Tekni-Plex acquires assets of Fibro Corporation, expanding
sustainable solutions for fresh food applications
Tekni-Plex has acquired assets and
licensed technologies of Fibro Corporation,
a Tacoma, Washington-based company
that develops and manufactures innovative
moulded-fibre packaging. The transaction
strategically expands Tekni-Plex’s materials
science solutions in the fresh food
marketplace to include a broader range of
sustainable, pulp-based packaging solutions.
These new resources will become part of
Tekni-Plex’s Dolco Packaging business,
positioning the company as the only US
supplier of egg cartons manufactured in
foam polystyrene, PET, and pulp-based
materials. The move also will allow Dolco to
expand product offerings beyond its primary
focus on egg cartons and meat trays.
“The Fibro transaction aligns well with Tekni-
Plex’s existing Dolco Packaging business,
and will enable us to create a range
of best-in-class sustainable solutions
while delivering added customer value,”
said Jay Arnold, Tekni-Plex’s senior
vice-president and general manager
of Dolco Packaging. “Our intention
is to invest further in this innovative
technology platform as we scale up,
increase capacity, and expand our
product lines to bring superior solutions
to the broader fresh foods landscape.”
Fibro’s advanced pulp technologies
are the driver behind a revolutionary,
smooth-finish, fibre-based egg carton
that allows for easier and more precise
package printing, improved product
protection, and more streamlined
packaging line operation. Its acquisition
furthers Tekni-Plex’s goal of achieving
sustainability-minded, material
agnosticism across a broad spectrum of
packaging solutions. Combined with its
recent acquisitions of Keyes Packaging
Group and Grupo Phoenix, Tekni-Plex
has significantly strengthened its fibre
and paper capabilities and increased
its ability to provide innovative ways
to better protect products, strengthen
brands and innovate sustainably.
“With these acquisitions, we are building
a material agnostic platform from which
Tekni-Plex will provide materials-science
based solutions that meet our customers’
performance and sustainability needs
across a variety of substrates,” said Eldon
Schaffer, CEO of Tekni-Plex consumer
products. “We believe these solutions
will be extremely attractive to the highgrowth
fresh foods markets, especially
on the perimeter of the store.” ■
XSYS rotec sleeves and adapters grow its presence in North America
By investing in new purpose-built offices,
complemented by a new site entrance
and enhanced parking facilities, XSYS
is demonstrating its commitment to the
future after the change in ownership.
“Our strategy to grow the XSYS sleeves
business is gaining traction, and we
have now embarked on the next phase
to strengthen our rotec Sleeves and
Adapters business to extend our lead in
the market,” said Patrick Luedecke, general
manager of sleeves global. “As a specialised
solutions provider for the packaging
industry, we have always strived to adapt to
changing market conditions and enable our
customers to overcome any obstacles.”
The current market challenges caused by
the global pandemic have greatly extended
lead times from Europe, meaning some
manufacturers are struggling to supply
their customers. With full manufacturing
capabilities on the ground in the US, XSYS
rotec sleeves and adapters continue to
offer extremely competitive and reliable
delivery of high-quality products from its
full rotec range without disruption.
Having installed new equipment to produce
rotec offset sleeves in the US, the Asheville
plant now manufactures the complete
portfolio of rotec sleeves and adapters for
narrow, mid and wide web flexo and offset
printing presses. The sleeves and adapters are
manufactured to order according to the specified
wall thickness, length and upgrade options.
Moreover, for customers demanding even
faster delivery times, XSYS rotec sleeves and
adapters offer a special rush programme that
reduces lead times on the main product lines
considerably. While standard lead time for rotec
Blue Light sleeves is 15 days for a set of 10, the
rush programme reduces this to just six days. rotec
High Performance Sleeves and rotec Premium
Sleeves can be delivered in 18 days reduced to
seven to eight days on the rush programme.
“We understand the unprecedented difficulties that
converters are facing in the current climate, and
we are implementing solutions across our business,
not only here in the US, but globally, to help our
customers succeed,” concluded Luedecke. ■
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

NEWS 13
Kerry’s The Protein Mindset report finds protein to be a major
driver for consumer health and wellness in Asia-Pacific
New global research from Kerry has
uncovered that most protein consumers in
Asia-Pacific are motivated by health and
wellness, with 52% associating protein
with “healthy diet”, and 48% regarding
protein as “generally healthy”. Asia-Pacific
consumers also see protein as boosting skin
health and beauty, as well as immunity.
"The Protein Mindset: Uncovering
Consumers’ Perceptions and Preferences of
Proteins” details how consumers around the
world increasingly perceive protein content
and quality as fundamental drivers of their
food and beverage purchase choices.
The report also found that consumers
are willing to pay a premium for protein
fortification, with 84% in Asia-Pacific
willing to pay a higher price and more than
half open to paying at least 10% more.
When it comes to purchase considerations
for protein-rich food and beverages, the
research revealed that quality of protein is
the top purchase driver for 60% of Asia-
Pacific consumers, significantly above
the global average, followed by taste. The
amount of protein per serving ranked third
at 55%, also above the global average.
Consumers in Asia-Pacific prefer to
consume their proteins in favourite
breakfast foods and indulgent snacks,
with granola and cereal bars, yoghurt and
breakfast cereals topping the list, while
drinkable yogurt, dairy-based milk and
nutritional beverages are the protein–
preferred beverages in the region.
In terms of types of protein, plants
are accepted by consumers globally
as a source of ethical and sustainable
protein, but its appeal is particularly
high in both Asia and Europe.
Jackie Ng, strategic marketing director
of applied health and nutrition at Kerry
Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa,
remarked on the findings: “Emerging
plant-based food and beverage products
have grown significantly in consumer
appeal in Asia, where 75% of consumers
regard plant protein as a more sustainable
source, and associate it with better
quality and being more nutritious. Dairy
proteins come second, as it continues
to enjoy high acceptance across all
regions but has a greater degree of
appeal in Asia, with 60% of consumers
saying dairy protein ‘tastes better’, is
‘more nutritious’ and ‘better quality’”.
This timely report highlights the crucial
rise in market acceptance of added protein
in consumption of everyday foods and
beverages, as well as indulgent snacks
and treats. On–pack claims of “better for
you”, “healthy halo” and “clean label” were
identified as crucial to creating proteinbased
foods and beverages that will
resonate with consumers. Also discussed
are the top current opportunities for
innovation in product development, and
the ways in which Kerry can support
food and beverage manufacturers as
they apply this research directly to
their product development efforts.
Soumya Nair, global director of consumer
research and insights at Kerry, commented
on the release of the findings: “Accelerated
by COVID-19 and consumer focus on health
and rising interest in proactive — versus
reactive — nutrition, rapid change has
occurred recently in food and beverage
markets around the world as broader
awareness of the many benefits of protein
increasingly drives purchase decisions
among mainstream consumers. This
extensive Kerry research puts protein
foods and beverages squarely under a
microscope to understand where the
opportunities lie for brands to innovate.”
In preparing this report, Kerry surveyed over
6,300 consumers across 12 countries within
North America, Europe, Latin America, and
the Asia-Pacific region. Those who qualified
for the research study included health and
wellness-conscious consumers, and those
who prioritise products with added protein
when making food and beverage purchase
decisions. The study explored the appeal of
23 different sources of protein and the
relevance of protein fortification across
30 different foods and beverages.
Country–specific findings with more
detailed targeted analyses are available
to Kerry customers upon request.
Nair concluded: “There is little doubt the
protein revolution in food and beverages
offers exciting and dynamic opportunities
for all product developers. This timely report
provides a range of insights to consider
incorporating within their short- and
long-term product planning and
development processes.”
Kerry’s “The Protein Mindset: Uncovering
Consumers’ Perceptions and Preferences
of Proteins” report is available for download. ■
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

14
MARKET INSIGHTS
The long haul: Ensuring a
robust food system in Asia
With the myriad challenges currently facing the world, the
need for a secure food system has never been stronger.
However, the journey towards food security for Asia will
arguably be a bumpy one. James Zhou, CCO and head of Asia
at Louis Dreyfus Company, offers insights into how companies
and countries can help make a difference for the road ahead.
By Agatha Wong
Despite growing income levels and
advancing technology, food security
remains an issue in many parts of the
world. Asia, in particular, is one of the
world’s least food-secure regions, with
an estimated 265 million people facing
acute food insecurity 1 . The 2020 Global
Food Security Index (GFSI) found that
only one country in Asia - Singapore
- featured in the index top 20, while
other Asian countries ranked amongst
the world’s least food-secure nations 2 .
At the heart of this issue are many
compounding factors, making food
security a complicated challenge.
“Apart from basic nutrition, food
security is often linked to countries’
decreased ability to develop their
agricultural markets and contribution
to economic growth. In addition,
COVID-19 has also undermined
progress in food security and nutrition
in Asia, reducing the incomes of
140 million people and pushing
them into extreme poverty and
disrupting critical supply chains 1 ,”
James Zhou, CCO and head of Asia
at Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC),
explained to Food & Beverage Asia.
A further contributing reason is
also climate change. With farmers
in Asia being the most vulnerable
to environmental fluctuations
in temperatures, sea levels
and river deltas due to climate
change, most of Asia’s crops fail
under rising salinity conditions,
with farmers and smallholders
potentially losing anywhere from
seven to 89% of their crops 3 .
Yet, not all hope is lost: “Recent
innovations in agri-tech can help
the industry to build resilience and
address these challenges. From
vertical farming to development of
new aquatic feed formulations for
commercial fish rearing, innovative
practices can support more
sustainable agriculture for the future.
In turn, these new technologies
will help realise innovative and
sustainable solutions to meet rapidly
growing consumer demand for
food and enable food security.”
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

MARKET INSIGHTS 15
STARTING SMALL
Smallholders and farmers continue
to form the backbone of food
production in Asia, contributing 35%
of the region’s food supply 4 and
accounting for an estimated 30%
of global crops. Nevertheless, these
smallholders continue to be at a
disadvantage with recent advances
in agriculture, performing 40% below
the level they consider to be good
agricultural scenarios, according to
Daemeter Consulting 5 . Therefore,
greater support must be extended
to these key players as well.
“One solution is to implement crop
diversification — where
farmers grow more
than one crop
in a single plot.
In Asia, crop
diversification
can help
protect
smallholders
against profit
drops when the
price of a particular
crop is lower
than
average in a given year. Crop
diversification can also help build
more resilient agricultural systems
and contribute significantly to
food security,” shared Zhou.
Zhou raised the partnership between
LDC, Dutch non-profit organisation=
SNV and the Louis Dreyfus Foundation
and their efforts to help Indonesian
farmers adopt sustainable farming
practices to increase their yields and
incomes, and access certification: “The
programme trains farmers in Good
Agricultural Practices (GAPs), teaching
sustainable plantation management
methods and environmental awareness.
It also supports the formation of
cooperatives and facilitates access
to better agricultural practices and
essential infrastructure, such as
washing facilities and safe chemical
storage, which are essential to
help smallholders comply with
sustainability and, ultimately,
certification requirements.”
Altogether, the project enabled
smallholders to increase their
production and income, whilst
adopting more
environmentally
friendly farmer
practices.
SINGAPORE:
A SUCCESS
STORY
To provide
greater
understanding
in how food
security can be
accomplished
in Asia-
Pacific, one
can look
towards
Singapore as
a case study.
As the most
consistently
highly-ranked
country in
terms of food
security 6 despite a lack of natural
resources, Singapore can provide
her neighbours the blueprint to
a more secure food system.
“Singapore’s core strategy for lasting
food security hinges on food source
diversification,” explained Zhou. “With
over 160 agriculture partners across
the globe 7 , Singapore is able to
import meat, fresh produce, and
other essential products to ensure
the country is well-nourished. These
partnerships are not random; the
country takes a strategic approach
to sourcing food supplies. The
Singapore Food Agency (SFA) works
with importers to organise trade
missions and business matchmaking
sessions to meet Singapore’s food
demand and quality expectations.”
Moreover, the country also saw
greater investments to local food
production during the pandemic,
with a S$30 million investment in
the agri-food industry to accelerate
production of commonly consumed
foods such as eggs, vegetables and
fish 8 . Furthermore, Zhou continued,
Singapore’s nationwide push for
urban farming has also resulted in
the discovery of innovative methods
to increase local produce, such as
the adoption of climate-controlled
spaces for precision farming 9 .
These are initiatives that other
nations in the region can follow.
To that end, these strategies adopted
in Singapore can be protracted
regionally to greater organisations
such as ASEAN to benefit the region as
a whole. Zhou opines that Asia must
keep investing in local food production
and exploring untapped resources
to ensure stronger food resilience.
THE PUBLIC-PRIVATE
INITIATIVE
Another important step towards
establishing greater food security
will be stronger cooperation between
the public and private sector. On one
hand, the private sector can provide
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

16
MARKET INSIGHTS
agricultural inputs and facilitate
access to innovative farming methods
and technologies in an efficient, cost
effective and sustainable manner. In
turn, governments can incentivise
investments and partnerships to drive
growth and innovation in the industry.
Sustainability is also a key part of
food security. To this, Zhou suggested
that companies across food and
agriculture value chains should
collaborate to create a responsible
supply chain; one that empowers all
value chain participants - including
farmers - to operate profitably,
ethically, and sustainably.
“An immediate opportunity is for
food manufacturers to embrace food
traceability. Traceability involves
documenting and linking production,
processing and distribution of
food products and ingredients,
enabling more accurate inventory
management, reducing ‘shrinkage’
costs and food waste, and ultimately
allowing companies to meet
customer demand and expectations
more efficiently,” said Zhou.
Zhou further highlighted LDC’s
efforts in working with Indonesian
coffee farmers to implement a Coffee
Vocational Training Programme in West
Lampung, helping younger farming
generations to develop sustainable
livelihoods in coffee production,
imparting knowledge of modern and
sustainable agricultural methods.
“By helping young farmers to support
their families through sustainable
farming, we secure coffee supplies
while shaping a healthier agriculture
ecosystem for the benefit of
current and future generations.”
Altogether, these strategies are
enabled through technological
advancements that will make the
journey towards food security
much smoother. Up-and-coming
technologies include the use of cloud
technology to aggregate data from
tools like soil sensors, satellite images
and weather stations to help farmers
make more accurate decisions about
crop management. Companies are also
working on agri-robotics to develop
autonomous tractors,automated
watering, and seeding robots.
“Although these innovations are not
yet adopted widely,” Zhou conceded,
“this is changing as more people
in emerging economies connect
into mobile information networks,
through apps designed to collect
and share agricultural information.”
LDC Innovations – a corporate
venture capital programme
that invests in innovations and
technologies with the potential to
transform the food and agriculture
industries – was established in
2020. Through this programme, LDC
invests in early-stage companies
pursuing technology-enabled
innovation to create healthier and
more sustainable food, feed, and
ingredient options. In partnership with
Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory
to advance agri-food innovation
in the region, optimised aquatic
feed formulations for the commercial
rearing of Barramundi fish was created.
“Recent disruptions in global supply chains
underline the need to transform food
and agricultural production operations
and processes - and this transformation
requires collaboration between
governments, farmer organisations,
businesses, and other supply chain
stakeholders,” remarked Zhou.
Beyond enhancing existing processes,
nations and agricultural supply
chain participants can also do their
part by investing in farmer training
programmes and initiatives to help
smallholders grow their crops more
productively and sustainably.
“LDC also recognises the vital role
that innovation plays in meeting
growing demand for safe, nutritious,
and sustainably produced food. This
is why innovation is at the heart of
our transformational strategy, having
undertaken several positive strides
in this area over the past year with
more developments and investments
in store,” concluded Zhou. FBA
REFERENCES
1
https://www.wfp.org/publications/
2020-global report-food-crises
2
https://foodsecurityindex eiu.com/index
3
http://www.fao.org/3/x5871e/
x5871e04.htm#3.3.2%20Factors%20
influencing%20tolerance% 20of%20
crops%20to%20salinity
4
https://www.sciencedirectcom/
science/article/pii/
5
http://daemeter.org new/uploads
/20160105233051.Smallholders_
Book_050116_web.pdf
6
https://foodsecurityindex.
eiu.com/index
7
https://agrifood.net/images/cfs43/
CFS43 Side-event background
document-Lessons from Singapore.pdf
8
https://www.sfa.gov.sg/docs/
default-source/default-documentlibrary/sfa-media-release---awardof-30x30-express-grant-call.pdf
9
https://www.sfa.gov.sg/fromSGtoSG/
farms/farm/Detail/sustenir-agriculture
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

BITING ISSUES 17
Angel Yeast invests in new enzyme project capable of 5,000
tons annual production output
Angel Enzyme Preparation, a whollyowned
subsidiary of Angel Yeast, is
constructing its new green manufacturing
project in Angel Biotechnology Industrial
Park, Yichang City, which commenced
in September 2021. Once complete,
the project will have an annual enzyme
production output of 5,000 tons and
will enhance the company's competitive
advantage in the enzyme preparations
and biotechnology industry.
Angel Enzyme Preparation's new
green manufacturing project will
cover 80 hectares and has a planned
total investment of RMB340m, and is
estimated to be completed by Q4 2022.
The project is expected to generate
RMB350m in annual revenue – including
RMB130m in profits – and create 200
jobs after going into production.
Angel Enzyme Preparation served as a
Special Enzyme Preparation Business
Department within Angel Yeast before
becoming a subsidiary. In 2012,
Angel Yeast established its Special
Enzyme Preparation Base.
By harnessing Angel Yeast's facilities and
the flexibility of biological manufacturing,
Angel Enzyme Preparation will engage in the
R&D, production, and application of enzyme
preparations and various biological
products. In addition, the company
will be a one-stop service for CDMOs
seeking technology development,
processing and production services;
as well as customers wanting project
incubation for custom products.
Angel Enzyme Preparation provides
enzyme preparations such as
glutaminase, lactase, and protease,
which are widely used in baking,
alcohol, proteolysis, nucleic acid
hydrolysis, dairy product processing,
and feed industries. All of its products
share five key characteristics:
conversion efficiency, specificity, quality,
tolerance, and eco-friendly production.
Angel Enzyme Preparation also owns
ANNZYMES, an independent brand
of special enzyme preparations. ■
Angel Yeast
FDA grants acacia gum as dietary fibre
Alland & Robert has announced
The FDA agreed that acacia gum has
that acacia gum can be classified as physiological effects beneficial to human
a fibre for nutrition labelling purposes health, such as the reduction of blood
in the US. This decision from the US glucose and insulin levels after it is eaten
Food & Drug Administration (FDA)
with a meal containing a carbohydrate
was made public on 17 Dec 2021, thus that raises blood glucose levels.
allowing acacia gum to count as a
dietary fibre on American Nutrition
Alland & Robert, along with a work
and Supplement Facts labels. Acacia group of other acacia gum stakeholders,
gum is an ingredient or additive
submitted two science-backed citizen
used worldwide in a wide range of
petitions in 2019 and 2020 to provide the
products. Strong scientific literature FDA with data showing proof that acacia
demonstrates that acacia gum is a fibre. gum has indeed physiological benefits.
Dr Isabelle Jaouen, research and
development director at Alland &
Robert, said: “Two laboratories that
specialise in clinical nutrition, including
one university, have been mandated
for the design and realisation of the
clinical tests. Our citizen petitions
included data showing the benefits
of acacia gum on blood glucose levels.”
Acacia gum is a natural, vegetal, safe,
functional and healthy additive used
in flavours, beverages, confectionery,
dairy, bakery, and dietary products,
among others. It is found in thousands
of day-to-day products all over the
world. Alland & Robert contains a
minimum fibre content of 90% for all
products of its acacia fibre range.■
Alland & Robert
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

18
BITING ISSUES
Oterra
Oterra launches extended caramel range
Oterra has announced the launch
of its extended caramel range. This
enhanced product offering further
bolsters Oterra’s impressive portfolio
of colours from natural sources.
In May 2021, Oterra announced its
acquisition of SECNA Natural Ingredients
Group, who was one of the largest
producers of colour from caramelised
sugar. Following the integration of
SECNA into its portfolio, Oterra has
added a full range of caramel products.
Oterra’s caramel range covers
caramelised sugar, all four classes
of caramel colours, and is available
in liquid and powder forms. The
extended range, available in an
assortment of strengths, makes
it ideal for use in a wide range of
applications, including beverage,
dairy, bakery, and confectionery,
amongst others. All products are
fully certified and accredited,
including non-GMO, halal and
kosher, as well as low 4-MEI options. ■
Synergy Flavours
Synergy Flavours launches new flavour range for low and no
alcohol beverages
Synergy Flavours has developed
new extracts and flavour solutions
for the low and no alcohol category.
The range includes bitters, fermented
notes, gin, pink gin, aperitif and
rum flavours, alongside extracts
that deliver warmth, such as scotch
bonnet and peppercorn. Synergy has
also expanded its botanical range
with new profiles including sloe,
dandelion, passionflower, and juniper.
Blending different extracts and
flavours, using a range of traditional
and modern extractions techniques,
has helped Synergy create a toolbox
of solutions for this growing market.
The portfolio allows manufacturers to
layer different flavour notes to mimic
the complexity of alcohol alternatives.
Alongside the new range, Synergy
has created analytical pairing charts
which show how flavours analytically
pair with key compounds in alcohol.
The pairing charts focus on tequila,
rum, vodka, whiskey and gin.
Vicky Berry, European business
development manager of Synergy
Flavours, explained: “The pairing charts
allow low and no beverage manufacturers
to tap into flavours proven to work well
in alcohol and bring the same level of
innovation to alcohol alternatives.”
Synergy has also expanded its portfolio
of Italian Provenance citrus extracts
with more soluble versions of Sicilian
Orange and Sicilian Mandarin.
Giorgio Ferluga, technical manager of
Synergy Flavours Italy, commented:
“Premiumisation is key in the low and no
alcohol market and our extracts allow
manufacturers to claim provenance,
whilst maintaining the desired clarity
and flavour impact in their drinks.”
There is also a new addition to Synergy’s
Inspiring Fruits range, with a new
depictable and declarable natural rhubarb
flavour – a leading flavour profile in gin.
The rhubarb can be used alongside the low
and no solutions or paired with the existing
Inspiring Fruits range: blackcurrant, peach,
strawberry, raspberry, pear and sour cherry.
Berry concluded: “The low- and no-alcohol
market is booming, with consumption
expected to grow 31% by 2024, according
to the IWSR. Taste and natural positioning
are key in developing drinks for this
market – consumers are becoming more
discerning and more demanding, expecting
that alcohol alternatives will taste as
good and contain natural ingredients.” ■
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

BITING ISSUES 19
International Stevia Council announces approval of framework
on steviol glycosides by Codex Alimentarius
The International Stevia Council (ISC)
has announced that Codex Alimentarius
(Codex), the international food standard
safety authority, recently adopted the
framework for steviol glycosides, which
encompasses four different technologies
for the production of steviol glycosides.
The framework and these production
technologies will enable greater access
to the full range of stevia ingredients
to a significant portion of the world
and will continue to answer consumer
demand for healthier products.
various technologies on the market
without submitting new dossiers,
provided they fulfill the defined criteria
and specifications per technology,” said
Scardigli. “This is based on the authorities’
review of the production technology,
ensuring the highest level of safety, purity
and quality is achieved for the final steviol
glycoside ingredient put on the market.”
It broadens the options on the use
of stevia and gives the flexibility of
using stevia from different production
technologies depending on formulations.
(Photo credit: International Stevia Council)
products using other sweeteners,
likely as a result of the pandemic.
International Stevia Council
The four steviol glycoside production
technologies approved by Codex now
include stevia leaf extract, steviol
glycosides from bioconversion, steviol
glycosides from fermentation and
glucosylated steviol glycosides.
In the last five years, there have been
many advancements in the stevia
ingredient, leading to the development
of steviol glycosides — which has
a reduced bitterness and licorice
aftertaste, and an increased clean
taste similar to the taste of sugar.
New technologies have revolutionised
the stevia industry by enabling the
sustainable production of those steviol
glycosides — such as Reb M and Reb
D — which have a better sensory profile
and a cleaner taste, but are found in
smaller amounts in the stevia leaf.
These ingredients have proven to be
safe alternatives to sugar and other
sweeteners for all populations.
“ISC was instrumental in getting this new
framework approved, which benefits the
entire stevia industry,” said Maria Teresa
Scardigli, ISC’s executive director.
“The framework approach ensures that
business operators can put steviol
glycosides produced through their
Consumer demand for stevia continues
to grow. Data from Innova shows that
global product launches with stevia
have increased by 21.9% CAGR over the
past 10 years from 2011-2021. In the
same period, the majority of product
launches have taken place in North
America, Asia and Western Europe.
Furthermore, there has been an increase
of more than 35% of new product
launches with stevia in regions such
as Eastern Europe, Australasia, Africa
and the Middle East in this same time
period. The adoption by Codex will open
more markets for the use of stevia.
Beverage continues to be the
leading category for new product
launches with stevia, while sports
nutrition, supplements, dairy, snacks
and confectionery are also seeing
significant growth. New emerging
categories include desserts, ice cream,
bakery products and cereals.
According to Nielsen*, US retail sales of
products containing stevia cut across
all food categories represent US$3.9 bn
out of the total food and beverage retail
sales. In the past two years, categories
such as diet and performance nutrition
had stronger growth rates in the US
and are growing faster than similar
Data from Innova shows that Western
Europe has also experienced a significant
growth of products launched with stevia
from 2011–2021 with a 10–year CAGR
of 38.0%. Of those launches, 62.2%
occurred in five countries: UK, Germany,
Netherlands, France and Spain.
In 2021, in Western Europe, a significant
portion of the product launches were
in the sports nutrition category which
took the lead from soft drinks in 2018.
Other leading categories include soft
drinks, supplements, confectionary,
hot drinks, desserts, ice cream and
dairy. Given the growth of this market
space, it is likely that the global trend
of sugar reduction continues to be top
of mind and relevant for consumers.
“As we look forward to 2022 and beyond,
we are confident that our organisation
will continue to make strides in terms
of our vision and strategic imperatives,”
said Scardigli. “Our mission is to
improve the diets and health of people
globally by addressing sugars and
calories in food, to support stevia and
steviol glycosides as safe and trusted
sweeteners, and to promote its wide
variety of uses as a sweetener.” ■
*Nielsen xAOC latest 52 weeks ending
12.4.21
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

20
BITING ISSUES
Kerry
Kerry highlights top flavours for innovation in 2022 APAC
Taste Charts
Tastes that offer novelty, over-thetop
indulgence and targeted health
benefits are set to drive consumer
preference in 2022, according to Kerry.
Trends that were accelerated by the
COVID-19 pandemic have developed
and will become more sophisticated
in 2022, with consumers seeking
new tastes paired with familiar
formats and flavours – leading to
interesting combinations such as beer
blended with kombucha and sage or
chocolate milkshakes with lavender.
The insights are contained in Kerry’s
Global Taste Charts for 2022, which
uncovers the flavours and ingredients
that are set to inspire food and beverage
innovators across the world over the
coming year. Kerry leverages a blend of
sources to create the charts and provide
an in-depth analysis of taste trends,
from scanning product launch activity,
restaurant and café menu penetration,
research reports, in addition to Kerry’s
proprietary internal insights engines
such as Trendspotter that peers into
social media influencer content.
TASTE TRENDS FOR 2022
A desire for authentic flavours is driven
by an interest in long-term wellness and
overall health following the COVID-19
pandemic, while cravings for more
novel flavours are led by consumers
seeking surprise and fun from their
food and beverages. In Asia-Pacific,
speculoos — among Asia-Pacific’s top
20 fastest growing sweet flavours
within the last year and usually seen
in bakeries — is now emerging across
categories in spreads, ice cream
and beverages, while lemon myrtle
citrus is up and coming in beverages.
Restrictions around movement have
also led to consumers travelling the
world through their tastebuds, with
provenance-based flavours like Sicilian
lemon emerging in beverages and Japanese
hojicha tea in up and coming under sweet.
Indulgence and comfort are also important
to consumers and can be invoked with
traditional flavours like chocolate and sweet
flavours, or from visiting a foodservice chain
that was closed during the pandemic. BBQ is
a leading taste in Asia-Pacific as consumers
seek nostalgic yet experiential flavours,
with Korean bulgogi popular in both salty
and savoury snacks. Lechon, satay, yakitori
and beechwood smoke are also dominant
flavours in savoury snacks in the region. An
exciting new concept is smoke in beverages,
mostly seen in upscale cafes and bars.
Meanwhile, with an increasing focus on
gut health, immune support and emotional
wellbeing, consumers are looking for
better–for–you food and beverages that
make them feel like they are taking an
active role in their future health that also
taste great. Local examples of emerging
functional ingredients include turmeric leaf
and moringa, known for their antimicrobial,
anti-inflammatory properties. Oats continue
to be a top functional ingredient and almond
milk is an emerging alternative ingredient.
Harsch Koshti, marketing director for taste
at Kerry APMEA, said: “Our Taste Charts are
a culmination of deep insights from new
market product launches, menu scans and
our proprietary consumer-driven AI insights,
all corroborated by Kerry experts to forecast
the flavours and ingredients that were
relevant yesterday, are relevant today and
the likely trending flavours of tomorrow.”
Commenting on taste trends, Soumya Nair,
global consumer research and insights
director at Kerry, said: “Emerging flavours
and ingredients paint a picture of the
proactive consumer, looking for functionally
forward food and beverages that aid in
their overall health and wellness goals.
Additionally, in the current travel-deprived
marketplace, traveling through the tastebuds
has significantly grown - with Asian and
Latin American flavours set to make a bold
comeback in emerging foods and drinks.”
SUSTAINABLE NUTRITION
Sustainability is another important driver and
consumers now seeking ingredients that are
responsibly sourced and back by provenance.
Recent research by Kerry found that globally
49% of consumers are now considering
sustainability when buying food and drink.
“Consumers are also actively seeking out
sustainable food and beverage products
that have a significantly positive impact on
the planet as well as on their personal health
and wellbeing, looking for products with
consumer-friendly ingredients, clean label
claims and locally sourced ingredients. This
is all contributing to the flavour trends we
are seeing today, which are pointing towards
authentic taste experiences,” Nair added.
In a dynamic and fast-changing environment,
innovation has never been so important
to meet consumer preferences — and
taste is the first place to start.
The 2022 APAC Taste Charts is
available for download. ■
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

BITING ISSUES 21
Sweet Victory creates botanical-infused gum that halts sugar
cravings in just two minutes
Israeli start-up Sweet Victory has created
a line of botanical-infused chewing gums
designed to stop sugar cravings. The gums
work within two minutes by blocking the
sugar receptors on the tongue, and its
effect can last up to two hours. During
that time sweet foods or beverages will
taste bland or even sour; and the impulse
for a sweets binge can be abated, lasting
even longer than the physical effect.
Gitit Lahav, a psychologist who researches
the link between nutrition and psychology,
co-founded Sweet Victory with Shimrit Lev,
a professional nutritional instructor. Lahav
and Lev turned to the botanical gymnema,
known from Ayurvedic tradition for its
positive effect on glucose metabolism.
The botanical purportedly inhibits sugar
absorption beyond its effect on the tongue.
“The atomic arrangement of bioactive
gymnaemic acid molecules is actually similar
to that of glucose molecules,” explained
Lev. “These molecules fill the receptor
locations on the taste buds and prevent
activation by sugar molecules present in the
food, thereby curbing the sugar craving.”
The duo experimented firstly with homemade
chewing gum recipes, using gum-making
kits. Then, they combined the techniques
with their nutritional knowledge to derive
a recipe using natural sweeteners. The
formula was enhanced with the help of a
leading Israeli confectionary manufacturer.
Following the sourcing of organic gymnema
leaves in India, the start-up manufactured
the plant-based gum in a facility in
Italy approved for producing functional
Make plant-based foods with the diabetes consumer are in the pipeline. choice ■
supplements, and is available in two flavours:
peppermint, and lemon and ginger.
The gum underwent a successful pilot
study at the Obesity Research Centre
of the Sheba Medical Centre in Israel.
“The gum works on both a physical and
a psychological level,” added Lahav.
Further clinical trials to determine its
effect on blood sugar levels in persons
Sweet Victory
For the Love of Food
Make plant-based foods
the consumer choice
Scan to download eBook
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

22
BITING ISSUES
Dolcas Biotech
Curcumin extract shows positive results and pain-relief
benefits in knee osteoarthritis trial
A new study has demonstrated
that Curcugen from Dolcas Biotech
displays positive application in
osteoarthritis and reduced analgesic
use. Curcugen is a clean, dispersible,
highly concentrated, clinically studied
curcumin ingredient, fully derived
from a turmeric base with a high
curcuminoid concentration (50%).
In a recently published peerreviewed
article, “An Investigation
into the Effects of a Curcumin Extract
(Curcugen) on Osteoarthritis Pain of
the Knee: A Randomized, Double-
Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study”,
Dolcas Biotech has validated both joint
support and healthy ageing claims for
its unique turmeric extract, Curcugen.
The research, published online in
Nutrients on 23 Dec 2021 1 , evaluated
both subjective and objective
endpoints — including pain scales and
performance tests — in 101 subjects
of both genders averaging 58 years
of age. During the eight-week clinical
trial, Curcugen was dosed at 500mg
twice daily with the acceptable use of
traditional pain relievers as a rescue
option on an as-needed basis.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a disease of
the whole joint comprising structural
alterations in the articular cartilage,
subchondral bone, ligaments, capsule,
synovial membrane and periarticular
muscles. Various preparations of
curcuminoids have been evaluated
in the context of OA and concluded
to be helpful. However, concerns
regarding protocol design and study
populations have sown seeds of
uncertainty. The study has differentially
included functional assessments of
joint performance to reduce evaluation
biases and examined an ethnically
diverse population in Australia.
For example, eligible subjects were
confirmed to have a previous diagnosis
of knee OA and a pain rating of at least
six out of 10, with 10 being the worst.
Outcome measures included the knee
injury and osteoarthritis outcome score
(KOOS), knee pain ratings, Japanese
Orthopaedic Association Score for
Osteoarthritic Knees (JOA), PROMIS–29
and performance-based testing.
At the end of the trial, the KOOS data
showed a statistically significant
improvement in the Curcugen group,
compared with who took the placebo, as
did the results of the observer-led JOA
assessment for total scores. Also of note,
19 of the 51 subjects in the Curcugen group
had decreased their medication at the
endpoint, whereas only six in the placebo
group were able to do the same. Curcugen
was well tolerated and no serious adverse
events were reported by participants.
Principal investigator, Adrian L. Lopresti,
PhD, commented: “The results of this trial
identified a standard level of translatability
to larger audiences, which compares
very well with other studies in the area
of knee joint pain. The data that has
been obtained for Curcugen identify
it as a promising, well-tolerated and
naturally derived joint-support option.
Curcugen is DolCas’ full-spectrum, highly-
bioavailable curcuminoid ingredient
that tips its hat to both zero-waste and
ecofriendly initiatives. The sustainably-
sourced, agro–fueled manufacturing
process generates a clean, food-grade
byproduct that is upcycled into a base
ingredient for local culinary use.
“In contrast to certain generic curcumin
products, Curcugen’s formulation preserves
the original complex of curcuminoids,
essential oils and polar resins within a
natural matrix,” noted Dr Shavon Jackson-
Michel, director of medical and scientific affairs
for DolCas Biotech. “These naturally occurring
constituents synergistically increase curcumin
bioavailability and, as supported by this trial,
its efficacy in the treatment of OA of the knee.”
She added: “The point I find most interesting
in this study is its evaluation of the Minimal
Clinical Important Difference (MCID).
It’s an outcome that’s considered to be
meaningful for the subjects themselves
and, as such, is both clinically important and
elevates the results above simple statistical
significance.” An average MCID of 33% was
recorded for subjects taking Curcugen
compared to 19% in the placebo group.
Curcugen recently obtained self-affirmed
GRAS status for use in foods and beverages,
such as bars and smoothies. Its palate-friendly
taste profile also sets it apart in these food
and drink preparations, as it is very easy to
adapt to formulations of any kind. The product
is the only one in the market to maintain the
natural ratio of native curcuminoid compounds,
curcumin, demethoxycurcumin (DMC) and
bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC), underscoring
its closeness to the turmeric rhizome
and its unmatched ability to complement
food and beverage-based formats. ■
REFERENCES
1
https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/1/41
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

BITING ISSUES 23
Ohly adds new chicken flavour to yeast-based ingredients
portfolio
Inspired by traditional cooking methods
and equipped with a wealth of experience,
Ohly offers solutions to meet market
demands. Starting with high protein
baker’s yeast, adding select high quality
ingredients, and applying moderate heat;
Ohly’s braised chicken flavour, OHLY
SAV-R-MEAT PBD, was created. OHLY
SAV-R-MEAT PBD provides a succulent
dark-meat chicken taste that delivers
the mouth-watering umami consumers
are looking for in savoury applications.
OHLY SAV-R-MEAT PBD is easily
dissolved in water and can be applied
in a variety of applications, from
processed meats and meat alternatives,
to sauces and seasonings for snacks.
Working closely with Ohly’s flavour scientists,
their global application team has tested
OHLY SAV-R-MEAT PBD in a wide range of
food applications to determine its greatest
attributes. They have shown that it effectively
masks undesirable off-tastes and delivers
the perception of succulence in plant–
based meat substitutes. At the same time,
it enhances rich, fatty chicken flavours in
gravies and broths, and prevents loss of
flavour in frozen processed meats. Beyond
taste and off-taste masking capabilities,
the new yeast-based flavour can be a
great tool when working with low-sodium
meat applications due to its naturally high
salt-enhancing umami. In addition, OHLY
SAV-R-MEAT PBD is allergen- and GMOfree.
It is suitable for vegetarian and vegan
products, and is halal and kosher certified.
Alongside Ohly’s internal experts’ evaluation,
an independent group of flavour scientists
was engaged to study the characteristics of
OHLY SAV-R-MEAT PBD. Their studies showed
that OHLY SAV-R-MEAT PBD delivered a
higher umami impact in comparison with
the main yeast-based thermal process
flavourings currently on the market.
This result, along with the flavour map,
demonstrates that the product not only
provided a rich chicken taste, but also
delivered long-lasting umami mouthfeel,
thus eliminating the need to add other
premium flavour modifiers. When
applying OHLY SAV-R-MEAT PBD to
plant-based meat substitutes, its intense
umami and meaty taste combination
are essential for achieving the authentic
taste that flexitarians are looking for. ■
Blue California launches whitening agents as alternatives
to titanium dioxide
Following food authority EFSA’s ban of food
additive titanium dioxide (TiO2), Blue California,
the producer of natural science-based
ingredients, has launched novel food-grade
whitening agents as a clean-label alternative.
Cuie Yan, Ph.D., vice-president of
encapsulation, said: “Our alternative to titanium
dioxide is industry-changing with opacifying
or whitening effects and sensory benefits
with a delicious creamy/rich mouthfeel, and
contains ingredients that may have additional
benefits such as supporting cognitive health.”
Titanium dioxide (E171) is an odourless
powder that enhances foods’ white colour
or opacity. The most common titanium
dioxide products are chewing gum,
candies, pastries, and cake decorations.
In recent decades, concerns about the
risks of titanium dioxide consumption have
grown. The Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) categorises titanium dioxide as
generally recognised as safe (GRAS)
at a maximum 1% weight, but other
organisations have issued warnings.
New governing rules in Europe are in action
for producers to reformulate their products
during a six-month window of phasing out
titanium dioxide (E171). This follows the food
authority European Food Safety Authority
(EFSA) decision deeming titanium dioxide
(E171) as “not safe” in 2021, with a complete
ban in 2022.
“Our clean-label, food-grade, and effective
whitening agents are heat and pH stable
for a variety of applications that match
the performance of titanium dioxide
yet overcome its safety concerns,” said
Yan. “We’ve innovated these solutions
as safe alternatives for brands that need
to reformulate products rapidly due to
government authorities concerns, bans,
and phasing out titanium dioxide.”
Blue California’s food-grade whitening
powders have a similar size in diameter
to the traditional titanium dioxide with
higher L values (whiter). The whitening
agents have been tested in chewing
gum compared to titanium dioxide. The
whitening effect results of Blue California’s
whitening agents are as remarkable
as titanium dioxide; the whiteness
increases as the dosage increases. ■
Ohly Blue California
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

24
INGREDIENTS
Innovating better with smart
carbohydrates
With manufacturers incorporating energy-boosting benefits into
their products, they can consider smart carbohydrates as a functional
ingredient that delivers a much needed boost without compromising on
health and taste.
By Christian Philippsen, managing director of BENEO, Asia-Pacific
Today, sports nutrition is no longer just
about athletes. The desire to lead more
active, healthier lives has risen to the
top of most consumers’ minds in light
of the ongoing pandemic. This trend
has led to a boom in the sports nutrition
market in Asia, which is expected to
grow by 12.2% in the next five years 1 .
This growth means that more manufacturers
have begun redesigning their mainstream
food and drinks to help consumers achieve
their fitness goals. These include beverages,
cereals, and snacks that provide an added
benefit of increasing energy during exercise
or help with recovery after workouts. While
convenient, many of these products tend to
be abundant in high glycaemic carbohydrates.
These carbohydrates release glucose into
the bloodstream at a fast rate, providing a
short boost of energy. It also tends to trigger a
significant increase in blood sugar and insulin
levels, resulting in a so-called 'sugar crash'.
Consumers are beginning to recognise
that carbohydrates vary greatly in quality. A
recent BENEO survey revealed that 66% of
consumers believe that low-glycaemic sugars
are better for their health 2 . Along with an
increasing penchant for healthier alternatives,
45% of Asian consumers are also now looking
for products that can improve their energy.
This unabated demand represents a market of
thriving opportunities, and food manufacturers
must strike while the iron is hot. They should
therefore look at ingredients that can deliver
energy in a balanced, sustained manner.
HELPING CONSUMERS MAKE
SMARTER CHOICES WITH SMART
CARBOHYDRATES
When it comes to catering to daily energy
needs, carbohydrates come to mind. However,
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

INGREDIENTS 25
it is also as important, if not more, to look at
the quality of the carbohydrates consumed.
Fast carbohydrates — such as maltodextrin
and sucrose that are commonly used in
sports nutrition products — release glucose
into the bloodstream quickly when digested.
This causes a ‘boost and crash’ effect
where there is a rapid increase followed
by a sudden decline in glucose levels as
our body regulates the sudden rise. Such
reactions are not ideal for those looking to
achieve sustained, balanced energy levels
throughout the day, much less those who
are looking for endurance during exercise.
On the other hand, smart-release
carbohydrates can provide a more steady
and sustained energy supply, resulting in
blood glucose levels that stay balanced
without sudden fluctuations. One example
is BENEO’s Palatinose, a smart carbohydrate
derived from sugar beet that is digested
gradually so glucose is released into the
bloodstream in small quantities at a time.
A lower and more balanced blood glucose
response results in less insulin release and
an improved metabolic profile. In addition,
lower insulin levels allow for a higher rate
of fat burning instead of carbohydrate
burning for energy supply, as demonstrated
in a scientific study which showed that
Palatinose delivered clear advantages with
its steady and sustained carbohydrate energy
supply to allow for “a greater reliance on fat
oxidation and [the] sparing of glycogen” 3 .
However, how might manufacturers
incorporate these smart carbohydrates
into their products?
ONE INGREDIENT, A MYRIAD OF
OPPORTUNITIES
Palatinose features various technical
benefits that allows it to be easily
used in a variety of recipes.
Its low hygroscopicity makes it perfect
for powdered drinks and blends as it does
not easily form lumps in powder form. This
functional carbohydrate also has good
solubility, enabling consumers to dissolve
it easily into their beverages. It remains
stable at a temperature of 25°C with a
relative humidity of up to 85%. This stability
ensures that food manufacturers will not
have to worry about compromising quality
during manufacturing processes where
conditions may be prone to drastic changes.
Moreover, a maintained osmolality allows
concentrations of drinks to remain
unchanged with its addition into the
mix. When applied to sports drinks,
their isotonic properties are retained
to serve their water replenishment
purposes and are optimally absorbed by
the digestive system of consumers.
More importantly, Palatinose provides a mild,
natural sweetness without any aftertaste,
and can easily be combined with other
sweeteners to achieve a tailored sweetness
profile suited to the individual preference of
the consumer. Food manufacturers will thus
be able to reformulate their products without
difficulty to preserve taste and texture,
while offering the benefits of sustained and
balanced carbohydrate energy release.
As sports nutrition products continue to
flourish globally, the food and beverage
industry will need to rise to the challenge
of helping consumers meet their increasing
desire to lead more active lives coupled with
better nutrition; they do not have to tread
into the unknown to make that happen.
The good news is that there are already
alternative carbohydrates that can help
food manufacturers reformulate better,
and provide consumers with a sustained
energy while improving their metabolic
profile and increasing fat burning potential
– without compromising taste. FBA
REFERENCES
1
Mordor Intelligence: Sports Nutrition Market
- Growth, Trends, and Forecasts (2020 -
2025)
2
BENEO (2021) Consumer Health Survey
3
Source: König D, Zdzieblik D, Holz A, Theis
S, Gollhofer A (2016) Substrate utilization and
cycling performance following Palatinose
ingestion: A randomized, double-blind,
controlled trial. Nutrients 8(7): 390. doi:
10.3390/nu8070390, Link: https://www.ncbi.
nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4963866/
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

26
INGREDIENTS
Collagen-rich tissues
support immune health
How GELITA’s IMMUPEPT can support a well-functioning
immune system.
By Suzane Leser, director of nutrition communication at GELITA
As the impact of COVID-19 continues
to be felt across the globe, recent
research has shown that almost
two-thirds of consumers are now
saying that they are more conscious
than ever before about their immune
health 1 . This article discusses a new
body of evidence demonstrating
the role that collagen-rich
tissues play in supporting a wellfunctioning
immune system and
the opportunity it presents for the
development of nutraceuticals
and functional food and drink.
COLLAGEN-RICH TISSUES
AND IMMUNITY
When it comes to the immune
system, there are generally three
lines of defence for the body. The
first is a person’s skin, which serves
as a ‘surface barrier’. The second
is a person’s unspecific immune
response – their innate immunity;
and finally their specific, adaptive or
acquired immune response. These
three lines of defence protect the
body from foreign invaders such
as pathogens and microorganisms,
harmful bacteria, viruses and
toxins. Collagen-rich tissues are
becoming increasingly recognised
for their role in supporting a wellfunctioning
immune system, and
the three main collagen-rich areas
of interest are the skin, the wholebody
extracellular matrix
(ECM) and the bone marrow.
As the skin is the body’s most
basic surface barrier, it is
vital as a first line of defence.
Highlighted by Eyerich et al.
(2018) as ‘an active immune
organ’, it works alongside
other primary barriers found
in the gut, lungs, eyes, nose
and mouth, and in the interior
surface of all blood vessels to
protect the body. If this primary
surface barrier is compromised,
then opportunistic pathogens
can enter the body and trigger
the innate immune response.
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

INGREDIENTS 27
The most obvious manifestation
of the innate immune response is
inflammation, a typical reaction
to infection or injury. Though
normally an important step in the
immune response, it can lead to
tissue damage and may eventually
overwhelm the entire immune
system when prolonged. Another
line of defence is a person’s adaptive
immunity, which is triggered when
an infection progresses despite the
activity of the innate immune system.
Adaptive immunity is responsible
for learning and recognising specific
pathogens, and triggering a stronger,
more rapid response if exposed to
them a second time. The adaptive
mechanism is regulated by cells
and organs in the body, including
the bone marrow, where all cells
of the immune system originate.
How does the ECM fit into the
picture? Beyond the skin, the role of
connective tissues in immune health
extends to several other components
of the ECM in the whole body.
The matrix is a three-dimensional
environment produced by connective
tissue cells, where most immune cells
are mobile and operate. The ECM is
abundant in collagen fibres and in
several other functional proteins.
It is present throughout the body,
and besides serving as a structural
scaffold (Rowley et al. 2019), the
ECM has also been cited as a
dynamic site for numerous metabolic
functions, including inflammatory
response. Several components
of the ECM interact with immune
cells during immune response,
demonstrating that ECM components
are becoming increasingly recognised
as active partners in coordinating
the different parts of the immune
response (Frevert et al., 2018).
HOW COLLAGEN CAN PLAY A
ROLE IN A WELL-FUNCTIONING
IMMUNE SYSTEM
Consider how collagen peptides
can keep the skin barrier intact. The
epidermis is a wall of keratinocyte
cells. The spaces between these cells
are filled with lipids and so-called
scaffolding proteins, which maintain
the skin barrier intact. If this layer is
broken down, pathogens reach to
deeper tissues, causing infection.
GELITA’s IMMUPEPT contains skinspecific
Bioactive Collagen Peptides
(BCPs) that have been optimised
to stimulate the metabolism of
keratinocytes, therefore regulating
biosynthesis of the epidermal matrix
proteins that form a strong skin
barrier 2 . These specific collagen
peptides keep the skin barrier
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

28
INGREDIENTS
healthy and intact and can withstand
external threats. Lipids found naturally
in the uppermost layers of the skin,
such as ceramides, are also essential
to maintaining the surface barrier. A
sub-group analysis of 19 participants
from a pilot study performed in
cooperation with the University
of Hamburg 3 showed a significant
increase in the lipid content of the
skin barrier, after supplementation
with skin-specific BCPs.
BCPs have also been shown
to regulate the metabolism of
other highly specialised cells
of the connective tissue that
produce structural and functional
extracellular matrix components,
particularly ECM fibroblasts.
The fibroblast-specific BCPs optimally
regulate fibroblast cell metabolism,
stimulating the biosynthesis of several
ECM proteins involved in the immune
response. Effects in humans were
shown in a randomised controlled
trial involving 114 women aged
45-65 years, performed by Proksch
et al. (2014). The results showed a
statistically significant increase in
Procollagen Type I (65%), a marker
of collagen formation, after eight
weeks of daily supplementation with
2.5g of fibroblast-specific BCPs.
showing the importance of bone-specific
BCPs in regulating the metabolism
of the human bone-remodelling
cells osteoblasts and osteoclasts.
The benefits of specific BCPs for bone
health have been confirmed in the human
randomised controlled trial by König, et
al. (2018). Osteopenic postmenopausal
women were supplemented daily with
5g of bone-specific BCPs for 12 months
and over this time saw a significant
increase in bone mineral density (BMD).
It is possible that the positive effects
of specific BCPs to bone health may
also contribute to immune health.
Product-specific trials indicate that
the BCPs in IMMUPEPT are also able
to downregulate important biomarkers
of inflammation, tissue damage
and oxidative stress, suggesting an
immune-modulatory effect from
IMMUPEPT. With the introduction of a
family of Bioactive Collagen Peptides,
GELITA can offer manufacturers of
nutraceuticals and functional food and
drink producers solutions to support a
well-functioning immune system:
the selected BCPs in IMMUPEPT 25
stimulate skin barrier keratinocytes
and whole-body ECM fibroblast
cells, while IMMUPEPT 50 adds
bone-specific BCPs to the mix,
contributing also stimulatory effects
to the metabolism of the bone cells
osteoblasts and osteoclasts.
The reason for the success of
GELITA’s selected Bioactive Collagen
Peptides – used in the IMMUPEPT
range – is that they are designed to
optimally stimulate the collagenrich
tissues that are becoming
increasingly recognised for their role
in supporting a well-functioning
immune system – the skin epidermis,
the ECM and the bone marrow. FBA
REFERENCES
1
FMCG Gurus Survey, July 2019
‘Changing consumption habits in the
wake of COVID-19’
2
Collagen Research Institute (CRI), data
on file.
3
ibid.
The dynamic relationship
between the connective tissue
and the immune response
is also shown by the cross-regulation
between bone metabolism and the
immune system. Bone cells, which
were previously thought to only
regulate each other and take care
of remodelling the bone collagen
matrix, have now been shown to
regulate immune cells (Ponzetti
and Rucci, 2019). Equally, immune
responses often disturb bone
metabolism, particularly when the
immune system has been activated
or becomes diseased (Sirufo
et al. 2020; Del Fattore and Teti 2012).
As more is learnt about the importance
of maintaining healthy bones to ensure
a healthy immune system, findings are
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

ON THE TABLE 29
Mapping Asia’s flavour profile
With the expansion of its flavour production plant in Pinghu,
China, ADM is seeking to grow its portfolio of services in the
Asia-Pacific region. A timely addition to its existing facilities
in the region, the new site will provide solutions that meet
the changing and growing needs of Asia’s diverse markets.
By Agatha Wong
ADM has unveiled its flavour
production facility in Pinghu, China.
Spanning 27,000sqm, the facility
will allow the company connect
with food manufacturers and
processors with their products and
expertise. Given the evolving tastes
and preferences of consumers in
Asia-Pacific, the production site
aims to deliver innovations and
tailored expertise to the region.
This is supported by figures
pointing to the global food flavours
market reaching US$20.7bn by
2025 1 , most of it held by Asia-
Pacific. Moreover, with South
East Asia being a hub for diverse
cuisines, demand for flavours
and various food applications
are sure to increase.
Further compounding
these changes are
changing consumer
lifestyles, increasing
disposable incomes and
the popularity of exotic
flavours, amongst other
factors. Moreover, South
East Asian manufacturers
and producers are also
looking for naturederived
products and
consumers seek natural
ingredients for health and
environment benefits.
Dirk Oyen, vice-president of sales to help customers meet this
for APAC and general manager of growing consumer demand.”
human nutrition for South East
Asia at ADM, told Food & Beverage AN AXIS OF FLAVOURS
Asia: “The opening of our newest The new site also caters to the
flavour production facility in
diverse needs stemming from
Pinghu is designed to help brands Asia’s diverse culinary landscape.
meet preferred taste profiles and For example, as Oyen noted,
ensure that ADM is well-positioned healthy snacks and non-alcoholic
beverages are booming in Australia,
while immune-boosting foods
are seeing a surge in popularity in
China. With each region bearing
particular demographics and
demands, the Pinghu’s flavour
production facility can better
provide manufacturers with
the solutions to each market
for now and the future.
With the site situated
northeast of Zhejiang
province, an hour’s drive
away from Shanghai,
ADM will be able to
provide its customers
with direct access
to their team and
professionals. More
than that, the Pinghu
site is equipped with a
Dirk Oyen, vice-president calibre of services and
of sales for APAC and technology dedicated
general manager of to product innovation
human nutrition for South and creation, as Oyen
East Asia at ADM explained: “The site
features labs dedicated
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

30
ON THE TABLE
to flavour creation and product
application and development. These
labs support the development of
innovative solutions that will add
to ADM’s extensive portfolio of
flavours and ingredients derived
from nature. It also features
automated flavour lines with
advanced dosing technology that
integrates dosing, recombination,
mixing, filling and cleaning to
optimise production time.”
The facility is also designed with
the environment in mind. The
facility’s rainwater collection
system, regenerative thermal
oxidiser, wastewater treatment
plant and solar power panel,
enables a circular economy and
helps to create a more resilient
and sustainable food system for
the community and customers.
The newly launched Pinghu site will enable ADM to deliver
flavour innovations to its customers in the region
With these features, the Pinghu
site will allow ADM to deliver their
solutions whilst ensuring the
highest quality across a wide-range
of applications such as beverages,
sweet goods, dairy, and healthrelated
and functional foods.
“The plant is unique because it is
established to be the flavour supply
hub for all ADM flavour creation labs
in Asia-Pacific and to position us
closer to our key customers. Most of
the raw materials used in this facility
are sourced locally, and its strategic
location enables us to reinforce our
positioning to unlock innovations
for our customers at a faster speed
and precision from development to
market production,” revealed Oyen.
“We also provide more than just
natural flavours, ingredients, and
systems. We support customers
with product development and work
alongside them to identify the right
flavour solutions that consumers
are looking for. By providing
support from ideation through
to formulation and final product
development, customers can look
forward to relying on us as a trusted
partner throughout every stage for
consumer-winning applications.”
REGIONAL DESTINATIONS FOR
NOVEL INNOVATIONS
For now, the Pinghu site will focus
on driving and bringing operations
to optimal levels. As the flavour
supply hub for all creation labs
in Asia-Pacific, the plant will
bolster ADM’s ability to deliver
innovative flavour solutions.
The site is but the first blush of
ADM’s plans to bring enhanced
flavour profiles to the region. With
the existing Flavour Creation Site
and Technological Innovation Centre
in Singapore, ADM’s headquarters
in the country meets the needs
of manufacturers in in Indonesia,
Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand.
Outside of the Pinghu site, ADM has
signed a cooperation agreement with
Jiangnan University in May to establish
ADM Science & Technology Centre
in the Future Food Science Centre of
Jiangnan University. The centre will
further strengthen our innovation
capability to meet customer’s demands
for novel food and beverages.
“We are on a growth trajectory in
China and Asia-Pacific and will
continue working closely with
customers to create complete flavour
and specialty ingredient solutions
that meet consumer preferences
for taste, nutrition, function, and
texture,” concluded Oyen. FBA
REFERENCES
1
https://www.marketsandmarkets.
com/PressReleases/food-flavors.asp
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

ON THE TABLE 31
A gateway to less waste: SATS
accelerates towards sustainable
food waste management
Food waste management is set to be one of the hot topics in the food
and beverage industry – food manufacturers across the industry
are set on reducing waste and maximising operational efficiency,
generating sustainable results. At the fore of this movement is SATS,
who has introduced cutting-edge technology to their operations to
minimise waste in every step of the production line.
By Agatha Wong
With the world adjusting to a new normal,
demand for food catering and distribution
services are back on the rise as air
and freight transport resume services.
Accompanying this recovering trend is a
renewed awareness of sustainable business
practices and manufacturing operations,
alongside a greater need for waste
management and digitalised solutions.
As a provider of food solutions for airline
catering and more, SATS is committed to
pursuing innovative food technologies and
sustainable practices. With their sustainability
framework guided by the United Nations
Sustainable Development Goals, SATS is
led by three key themes: developing smart
infrastructure, reducing food and packaging
waste and nurturing skills for the future.
The company is dedicated to its goal of
halving food wastage and minimising
packaging waste in all operations by 2028
from their 2021 baseline, and introducing
100% sustainable food packaging by 2030.
GOING DIGITAL
As part of their efforts towards greater
sustainability, SATS has automated and
digitised a portion of their equipment
and infrastructure to incorporate
waste management technologies.
“For example, our inflight catering centre
in Singapore is fitted with automated food
waste tracking systems where artificial
intelligence (AI)-enabled machines capture
the volume of different waste streams in our
kitchens. This provides greater precision and
visibility of our waste output, enabling us to
optimise food material planning and improve
production efficiencies, thereby reducing
food waste,” Kerry Mok, president and CEO
of SATS, told Food & Beverage Asia.
Beside waste management technologies,
SATS has also invested in innovations
that directly minimise food waste, as Mok
added: “We have deployed technologies
to retain the quality of freshly cooked
food and extend product shelf-life. We
have also introduced different waste-toenergy
technologies across our operations.
For example, we have deployed an
on-site biodigester in our kitchen that
converts waste to energy in the form
of refuse-derived fuel (RDF), which can
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

32
ON THE TABLE
Kerry Mok, president and CEO of SATS
be used as a fuel additive for boiler systems
to produce steam to power incinerators.”
CONVERTING WASTE TO ENERGY
On the biodigester, Mok explained that the
technology works as a “mechanical stomach”,
where waste is broken down organically
by micro-organisms into simpler organic
material. This reduces waste haulage
and allows waste to be repurposed.
“The biodigester at SATS can break down waste
in a timely and efficient manner that aids our
operations; two tonnes of waste can be broken
down in 24 hours. Unlike many biodigesters
that can only break down organic waste, ours
can break down both mixed waste and organic
waste. This is crucial for our operations as the
waste offloaded from aircrafts is primarily mixed
waste. The mixed waste product derived from
our biodigester can be converted into RDF. The
biodigester at SATS can also cut down the volume
of waste requiring haulage by as much as 60%,
allowing more efficient operations,” shared Mok.
From January to June 2021, SATS’s
biodigester converted a monthly average
of four tonnes of food waste to RDF.
TAKING OFF FROM THE BEATEN
TRACK
These management strategies are
compounded through SATS’s subsidiary
Monty’s Bakehouse's expertise in sustainable
food packaging, in tandem with the
SATS' innovation hubs in the UK and
Singapore. SATS is thus enabled to extend
their sustainability-focused packaging
innovations to customers in Asia and beyond.
One such result of this endeavour is the
creation of Doodle, a packaging innovation
which enables inflight meals to be served
in sustainable service ware. Made from
natural materials, Doodle can be broken
down via SATS’s on-premise biodigester.
SATS goes one step further with its
waste stream management by combining
operational efficiency with minimising food
waste. As the waste generated from their
kitchens are comprised mostly of food
trimming from cutting and presentation
requirements, which still contain ample
nutritional quality, they are repurposed
creatively. By blending trimmings and adding
them to enrich the flavours of their soups
and sauces, the chefs at SATS are able to
deliver savoury meals for their customers
while also meeting sustainability goals.
These changes, alongside automated waste
tracking systems that measure and recognise
various types of waste and automatically
records them to a database, identifies and
monitors reasons for wastage. Consequently,
SATS is able to adjust and improve their
demand planning and material sourcing.
Beyond data collection, the company
endeavours to introduce more AI-enabled
waste tracking systems across their production
facilities, to better gather actionable
insights on their waste management and
further reduce food wastage. The same
goes for SATS’s biodigesting systems.
“Our sustainable practices go beyond
our operations in Singapore and we
are also sharing our sustainable waste
management expertise with our overseas
kitchens. For example, in China, we are
exploring an AI-enabled waste tracking
system. We will continue to explore new
technologies like anaerobic digestion and
gasification to enable better circularity of
waste treatment,” concluded Mok. FBA
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

INGREDIENTS 33
Biting truths: Overcoming food
fraud along the supply chain
By Agatha Wong
The issue of food fraud continues to
evolve with rising demand of premium
ingredients, and global supply chains.
Within Asia-Pacific, fake foods have always
been a top concern, with milk powder,
olive oil and cooking oil being the most
commonly adulterated products. Between
2013 to 2014, copper chlorophyllin was
found in olive oil products in Taiwan,
while a cooking oil manufactured by
the same company was allegedly
diluted with cheaper cottonseed oil.
The other types of food fraud include
The global food system faces a series of
challenges, from a global pandemic, to climate
change, and food insecurity. Yet, another issue
emerges throughout its complicated network:
food fraud. As the world’s consumption and
production of food increases, producers have to
contend with potentially fraudulent ingredients
and products – research has indicated that
food fraud accounts up to 25% of all globally
report food safety incidents. Moreover,
high-profile cases of melamine found
in Chinese-manufactured infant milk
powder has also raised consumers’
awareness to this concerning problem.
With over €80 million worth of fraudulent food
and drink seized across 78 countries in 2019,
prevention is the way for regulatory agencies,
auditing bodies and laboratory testing fields.
“The good news is that in terms of technology,
Agilent already has existing analytical food
safety and authenticity solutions. Analytical
testing is a critical tool for assessing
food authenticity, which is essential to
protect consumers’ health and the brand
integrity of food producers,” shared Chow
Woai Sheng, vice-president and general
manager of Agilent Singapore.
THE CAUSE AND COST OF FOOD
FRAUD
Factors contributing food fraud-vulnerability
vary across different countries, Chow
revealed. For farms, the pressure to meet
yield demands have resulted in the overreliance
on pesticides and fertilisers to
enhance growth and appearances of crops.
On the other hand, suppliers are motivated
by economic gains to re-label and resell
expired products. Other factors also include
consumer pressure to reduce prices, supply
shortage from political unrest, lack of food
safety legislation and testing, and constraints
between availability and demand.
The damage food fraud has incurred on the
global food system cannot be understated:
in addition to being an economic drain and
supply chain safety concern, food fraud costs
the global food industry between US$30-
40bn per year. The greatness of this issue
has prompted most countries to implement
strict legislation overseeing all aspects of food
safety along the production chain, while food
analysts require analytical methods to detect
and identify the nature and concentration
of chemicals in all components of food
from the raw materials to the end-product.
Analytical testing is a
critical tool for assessing
food authenticity, which
is essential to protect
consumers’
health and the
brand integrity
of food
producers.
Chow Woai Sheng,
vice-president and
general manager
of Agilent
Singapore
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

34
INGREDIENTS
Chow, added: “Agilent’s current methods
and technologies include MS, an analytic
technique which can be applied to the
identification and quantification of organic
or inorganic constituents in a sample. MS is
often combined with a separation technology
such as gas chromatography (GC) or liquid
chromatography (LC) to form a powerful
system for analysing complex mixture.
“Agilent’s instruments, systems, and supplies
are used throughout the food production
chain, including incoming inspection,
new product development, quality control
and assurance, and packaging.”
Technologies such as mass spectrometry, coupled with gas chromatography or liquid
chromatography, form compelling inspection tools to detect food fraud
substitution, concealment, unapproved
As products are exposed to a cocktail of
enhancement, counterfeit, mislabelling,
chemicals from fertilisers to pesticides, growth
and grey market forgery. To manage food hormones, antibiotics, and food additives;
safety risks, a consistent global framework and migratory compounds from packaging
for testing food authenticity will address the materials, analytical methods are needed
issue of food fraud on the scale needed. to detect its nature and concentration. This
could be complicated due to the complexity
DETERMINING AUTHENTICITY
of matrix compounds in food extracts which
“To ensure food safety and quality for the can interfere with the detection of target
consumers, Agilent is working hand-inhand
with Singapore’s Agency for Science, (MS) is an analytical tool that has been
compounds and elements. Mass spectrometry
Technology and Research (A*STAR) to support adopted to deliver detailed information on the
analytical research & development and the materials used in manufacturing process.
development of QA/QC techniques in the
food safety, quality, and authenticity testing
programmes. We continue to deliver new
technology and scientific workflow solutions
to the food industry, and find innovative ways
to collaborate and discover safe and secured
food solutions because we look for answers
to grow more-with-less,” Chow explained.
The company’s novel two-tier system
offers speed and convenience, with
inexpensive and easy-to-use screening
that delivers a speedy yes/no analysis
of a sample, as shown in Figure 1.
In conclusion, Chow had this to offer: “The
global food supply chain is increasingly
complicated, raising the opportunity for food
fraud. Consumer should stay vigilant to avoid
becoming victims of food fraud, such as buying
from a trusted supplier instead of a flea market,
read the labels, do not buy online unless they
have to, verify premium products to ensure
food authenticity, and report anything if they
suspect that something in their food is off.” FBA
Moreover, Agilent’s analysers used for a
variety of research on safety, security,
taste, aroma, nutrition, and discoveries
of compounds and analytes resulted in
local small to medium enterprises (SMEs)
leveraging their innovation to shorten the
product testing and development process
by six times, from 24 to four hours, and
achieve greater accuracy and precision.
On that front, manufacturers have a great
responsibility to ensure the authenticity of their
products, making sure that they are authentic
and free from interference and contaminants.
Figure 1: Agilent's two-tier testing system is fast and simple to
implement, making it an easy-to-use option for 'yes/no' screenings
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

ON THE TABLE 35
Positive ageing: How
food manufacturers can
help senior consumers
Despite the many negative associations with
ageing and health, many senior consumers
have taken a more positive approach in their
later years by remaining fit and healthy. To
support their goals, food manufacturers
must understand their needs and tailor their
products accordingly.
By Agatha Wong
Many older consumers maintaining their fitness and healthy,
in order to live their later years to the fullest
Much of the discourse surrounding ageing
has been remedial – think products touting
anti-ageing properties, or claims to reverse
the detrimental effects of entering one’s silver
years. Though it is true that ageing comes with
a completely different set of challenges and
nutritional needs, a growing awareness towards
wellness has shifted consumer demand in
the senior market to a more positive tenor.
According to BENEO’s latest survey,
HealthFocus International 2020, consumers
aged 50 and above are focussing more than
ever on positive ageing. The term “positive
ageing” refers to perceiving ageing in a good
light, and keeping fit and healthy during
one’s later years. The change in mindset is
largely attributed to a greater acceptance and
realisation of older consumers wanting to be
the best version of themselves in every life
stage. With the risk of age-related diseases
growing as one becomes older, prevention
becomes key and nutrition a focal point.
With this renewed thinking, older consumers
do not fight the inevitability of ageing,
choosing instead to accept it by being more
proactive about their health and adopting a
long term approach to health maintenance,
according to Myriam Snaet, head of market
intelligence and consumer insights, at
BENEO, who told Food & Beverage Asia:
“In fact, the survey shows that those aged
over 50 want to be able to continue with the
activities that they enjoy in their later years
and are increasingly looking to food and
drink alternatives to support this goal.”
The trend towards positive ageing is sure to
increase, given the growing ageing global
population. The United Nations Decade
of Healthy Ageing 2020-2030 projects
that two billion people will be 60 years or
older by 2050, while the United Nations
Economic and Social Commission for
Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) predicts
that one in four will be over 60 in Asia.
“[The ageing population] has also contributed
to a significant switch in focus from
chronic and acute conditions, to lifestyle
and ageing — the top health concern
globally is now the ability to continue
with normal activities as one ages,”
remarked Snaet, referencing HealthFocus
International, Global Trends Study 2020.
A significant part of positive ageing
will concentrate on nutrition. BENEO’s
survey highlighted the shift in consumer
habits where most are seeking products
that can offer nutritional support.
Snaet confirmed: “Our results showed that
78% of consumers in Asia who are over 50
are making a conscious effort to eat a healthy
diet, while 71% are looking for healthier
indulgent food and drinks options.”
Regionally, Snaet observed that for those over
50 who are interested in healthy ageing, four
in five consumers in Asia considers a balanced
diet as crucial to their overall health; 46% also
believe that a healthy diet helps one to cope
better with life’s challenges. Getting the best out
of the present and the future are now the core
motivations of those over 50 these days, and
proper nutrition will be a key enabler of this.
ADVANCED NUTRITIONAL NEEDS
To better aid older consumers with ageing
positively and healthily, supporting the immune
system will be important. In addition to sustaining
the gut microbiome with gut-friendly food
containing prebiotics, managing blood glucose
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

36
ON THE TABLE
levels will also be key. High blood glucose, Snaet
shared, is not only linked to pre-diabetes and
Type 2 diabetes, but also the immune system.
This has been observed during the COVID-19
pandemic where those with diabetes are at
higher risk of requiring more medical treatment
after contracting COVID-19. Moreover, high
blood glucose levels are also linked to being
overweight, metabolic syndrome, coronary
heart disease, amongst others. With smart
nutritional choices, reducing of blood glucose
response through low glycaemic functional
ingredients can support healthy ageing.
Creating delicious products that deliver added nutritional benefits
will be key to supporting an older palate
“The good news is that these functional
ingredients can be easily incorporated into
a multitude of food and drink categories.
For example, an oat cookie made with the
low-glycaemic carbohydrate Palatinose was
scientifically shown to elicit healthier blood
glucose responses from people who consumed
it as part of their diet,” Snaet revealed.
“The inclusion of Palatinose as an ingredient
was able to reduce the glycaemic index
(GI) of the cookie by half to a value of 24,
the lowest measured value for a cookie.
A human intervention study (Kaur et al,
2020) with the cookie also confirmed that
eating the low GI cookie with Palatinose for
breakfast and as an afternoon snack helps
to achieved more balanced blood glucose
profiles throughout the day, improving the
nutritional quality of a person’s diet.”
Blood sugar management (BSM) is also
another important aspect of positive ageing.
According to a consumer survey conducted
by Insites Consulting on BENEO’s behalf,
64% of 65- to 75-year-olds in Asia are now
paying attention to their sugar intake, and
one in three of those over 65 are concerned
about managing their blood sugar levels.
Function ingredients like chicory root fibres can
contribute to a low glycaemic diet – a key part of
nutritional management in one’s silver years
Consuming the right choice of carbohydrates
is vital to BSM. With an ideal carbohydrate, a
person gains the necessary energy needed for
metabolism, and is able to burn fat rather than
storing it. In the long term, food manufacturers
should look towards developing products
that encourage a lower glycaemic profile.
“A case in point is the increasing popularity
in product development of plant-based
ingredients with added value, such as
isomaltulose, chicory root fibre like inulin and
oligofructose, and isomalt. With a low or nonglycaemic
profile, all of these ingredients can
help in the creation of foods and beverages
that support blood sugar management.
Furthermore, these ingredients have the added
value of being easily incorporated into existing
products, while maintaining the delicate balance
between indulgence and health by enabling
consumers to continue enjoying their favourite
food and drinks with a healthy spin,” said Snaet.
MULTI-FUNCTIONAL PRODUCTS
Functional ingredients, such as chicory root
fibres, can provide an array of nutritional
benefits to encourage healthy ageing. And with
technical advantages, food manufacturers
can customise their products according to
consumer preferences and introduce them
easily into their production processes.
An example of a functional ingredient is
BENEO’s sugar replacer, Isomalt, which supports
a low glycaemic diet by making tasty and
enjoyable sugar-free confectionery and other
food products possible. Isomalt provides half
the calories of sugar, while having an almost
negligible effect on blood sugar and insulin
levels. Similar to Palatinose, it also supports
dental health and carries an European Union
(EU) and American health claim for being
tooth-friendly and not promoting tooth decay
respectively. BENEO Isomalt acts just like sugar
— as a dissolved solid in the system, it preserves
the quality and mouthfeel. Containing half the
sweetness of sugar with a similar taste profile, no
other correction of sweetness is needed when it
is used as a partial replacement. Furthermore, the
very low glycaemic response of Isomalt makes it
suitable for sugar and calorie reduced products.
Chicory root fibres, such as BENEO’s Orafti
inulin and oligofructose, also contribute to
a low glycaemic diet by replacing available
carbohydrates and enriching the food with a
dietary fibre. Their solubility maintains taste
and texture, thus supporting effective blood
sugar management. Moreover, numerous
scientific studies have shown that chicory root
fibre is one of the very few proven prebiotics
that nourishes the beneficial gut microbiota.
It supports digestive health (Collada Yurita et
al, 2014) alongside blood sugar management
(both confirmed by EU 13.5 health claims),
well-being (Vandeputte D, Falony G, Vieira-Silva
S, et al, 2017) and weight managwement.
In all, Snaet shared, manufacturers should
also seek to understand the core motivation
of their consumers, and what drives their
consumption patterns – where one might be
concerned with diabetes and blood sugar levels,
another might wish to focus on digestive health
to reduce their risk of chronic infections.
Snaet concluded: “Communication is key
and a deeper understanding of the popular
communication channels for the positive
ageing group is essential to ensure effective
communication of the health benefits of
manufacturers’ products to consumers.” FBA
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

PROCESSING AND PACKAGING 37
Collaboration in canning: KHS
and Ferrum adopt an integrative
role in hygienic machine design
During development of the Innofill Can C, special attention was paid to the hygienic machine
design and providing protection against flavour carryover. The filling valves are thus equipped
with PTFE expansion joints (Photo credit: KHS Group)
In a partnership enhanced by mutual developments, KHS
and Ferrum have brought their fillers and seamers together
respectively to deliver an integrated solution for canners
looking for both flexibility and hygienic design.
An increasing number of beverages
are being filled into cans worldwide,
with the diversity of products seeing a
similar increase. It is for precisely this
reason that canners make particularly
high demands of flexibility and the
hygienic design of their machinery.
KHS and Ferrum take on a pioneering
role in this field. Their technical
systems, attuned to one another from
many years of partnership, enable
beverage producers to market highquality
products that are hygienically
flawless. The compact Innofill Can
C from KHS, for example, has a
flexible, taste-neutral filling, among
other features. This is supplemented
by the matching seamer systems
FC06 and FC08 from Ferrum, where
its open design makes it easy to
clean. Combined, both machines
result in an efficient filling process.
The world demand for trend beverages
such as hard seltzer, energy drinks
and craft beer continue unabated.
Here, the can is often the container of
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

38
PROCESSING AND PACKAGING
lines with higher outputs even more
effectively. It is also flexible, enabling
several different products and formats
to be processed on a single line.
“The Innofill Can C is distinguished
by its fast format changeovers and
setup times. This in turn increases
the availability and economy of
the system,” described Härtel.
Smart technology: both KHS can fillers and Ferrum seamers are equipped
with modern HMI panels that considerably facilitate the work of the operating
personnel (Photo credit: KHS Group)
choice, said Manfred Härtel, filling
technology product manager at KHS.
“It’s light, easy to recycle and keeps
products fresh for longer with
its excellent barrier properties,”
elaborated Härtel. This type of
container is increasingly favoured
for established beverages
such as soda pop, water and
mixed beer beverages.
According to Härtel, this is prompting
a good number of beverage filling
operations to increase their range
in the can segment and fill more
and more different products
on the same line: “This means
higher demands are made of the
machine’s flexibility and hygiene.
For the greater the product variety
on a line, the greater the risk of
contamination and flavour carryover.”
HYGIENIC MACHINE DESIGN
IS CRUCIAL
“Our mutual customers have
exacting standards when it comes
to the quality of their products,”
stated Marc Zubler, head of sales and
product management at Ferrum.
An optimum hygienic machine
design that reflects the current
demands and requirements of
the market is as important as the
consultancy service that goes with it.
Härtel claims both companies share
a deep understanding in this area.
“We offer a complete package of
first-class technology and advice.
Our jointly developed filler/seamer
block gives our customers plenty
of added value,” Zubler declared.
FLEXIBLE, HYGIENIC AND
ROBUST: THE INNOFILL CAN C
KHS provides two fillers for the can
segment that have been established
on the market: the Innofill Can
DVD for the high-performance
range and the Innofill Can C for
small to medium filling quantities.
With a new addition to the series
that increases capacity to up to
60,000 cans per hour, the Innofill
Can C can now be integrated into
PROTECTION AGAINST
FLAVOUR CARRYOVER
In view of the increasing number of
beverage variants being processed,
special attention was paid to the
hygienic machine design and providing
protection against flavour carryover
during development. In the product
area, the filling valves on the KHS can
fillers are thus equipped with PTFE
expansion joints (Teflon) in place of
conventional seals. The sliding seals
in the bell guides have also been
replaced by Teflon expansion joints to
create gapless, hygienic seals. These
protect the product from contamination
and are easier to clean. Moreover, the
electropneumatic lifting and positioning
of the bells when sealing cans further
contributes to a safe filling process.
Marc Zubler, head of sales and product
management at Ferrum (Photo credit:
Ferrum AG)
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

PROCESSING AND PACKAGING 39
and provides maximum durability even when
aggressive cleaning media are used. In this
market segment, most cleaning is performed
by hand; only the gas injection system and
bubble breaker are foam-cleaned in a fully
automatic process. Cleaning for the product
area is also available as an option. In order
to maintain hygienic conditions both inside
and outside the machine, Ferrum supports
its customers with training for personnel.
For can seamers F12 (35,000 to 105,000
cans per hour) and F18 (51,000 to 150,000
cans an hour) in the ferruBasic series, Ferrum
provides optional hygiene packages whose
components are largely installed in the FC
series as standard. These include, among
other things, the installation of an inclined
base plate (on the F12 only) and various
adaptations to tools that support machine
hygiene. Furthermore, the welded cladding
around the upper parts in the standard version
are comprised entirely of stainless steel.
On its seamers Ferrum attaches the greatest importance to the hygienic
design of all components. The seamer section is made entirely of stainless
steel and provides maximum durability even when aggressive cleaning media
are used (Photo credit: KHS Group)
Ferrum systems F12 and F18, designed
for the high-performance range, are
therefore a relevant addition to the
KHS Innofill Can DVD can filler.
“Also, doing away with water
lubrication in the filler carousel area
shortens exterior cleaning intervals
by up to 20%,” Härtel added.
As an option, the Innofill Can C
can also be fitted with a HEPA filter
that removes potential bacteria
from the air in the machine interior.
Another option available on request
is warm filling. This prevents
condensation, and consequently
microbiological contamination
such as mould, from forming.
SOPHISTICATED HYGIENIC
DESIGN FOR SEAMERS
Like KHS, Ferrum strictly ensures
the hygiene of its machinery. The
attachment of the seamers FC06
(15,000 to 45,000 cans per hour)
and FC08 (19,000 to 60,000 cans
an hour) to the hygienic design of all
components in both the ferruBasic
and FC series illustrates this.
“When developing our seamers,
we consciously went for an open
design without cladding. This
makes the components easy to
clean and the machine readily
accessible to operators,” explained
Jörn Winkelmann, process engineer
and hygiene expert at Ferrum.
In the FC series – that is compatible
with the KHS Innofill Can C – the
use of several different angled levels
allows condensation and other
unwanted liquids to easily run off and
not enter the open beverages cans.
For the same reason, the conveyor
segment features regularly spaced
openings and the components have
a high surface quality to prevent
microbiological deposits. Another
item of note is the design of the
seals, which are easy to sanitise as
they are installed on the exterior of
the machine. The seamer section
is made entirely of stainless steel
PARTNERSHIP WITH VISION
KHS and Ferrum will further intensify
their cooperation in the future.
“Our machines are already
very well coordinated with one
another. However, we want to
offer our customers even more
integrated systems,” stated
Zubler. Härtel added that this
would also apply to the extensive
range of consultancy and other
services, where the two
partners aim to
function even
more strongly
as a unit in
the years
to come.
FBA
Manfred Härtel, filling technology
product manager at KHS (Photo credit:
KHS Group)
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

40
PROCESSING AND PACKAGING
Eco-friendly packaging
is more than just a trend
The call for greater sustainable practices has mandated
a change in packaging technology. With this in mind,
manufacturers can look toward compostable packaging to
deliver minimum wastage and emissions, and maximum
green benefits.
By Gino Sun, regional business director of Bostik Advanced Packaging for APAC
With countries worldwide
increasingly focused on reducing
their environmental impact, greater
sustainability has become recognised
as a critical enabler in supporting
global emissions reduction.
Consumer priorities have changed
significantly in favour of more
sustainable options. Consumers look
for sustainable alternatives, especially
in food and beverage packaging, which
commands more than half the share
of the global packaging industry.
The pandemic led to a sharp increase
in single-use plastic products.
However, demand for sustainable
packaging continues to
expand. Many are calling for
action to curb the single-use
plastic boom to minimise
additional greenhouse gas
and other emissions
Despite this, the industry is
still set to grow with increased
global demand for on-thego
meals to fuel fast-paced
lifestyles. To stay competitive
and maintain their social license
to operate, selecting packaging
solutions that demonstrate their
eco-friendly credentials is now
the only option for companies.
Manufacturers now look at the
most effective ways to help
reduce packaging waste from their
products. As consumer appetite
for safer, more environmentally
friendly products grows, so
does the preference for options
like compostable packaging.
WHAT IS COMPOSTABLE
PACKAGING, AND WHY IS IT
IMPORTANT?
Apart from recycling, compostable
packaging could be the answer to
addressing sustainability initiatives.
Compostable packaging is a
solution that can fully disintegrate
into natural elements, like soil, in
around three months. It requires
less carbon to produce than
other packaging, and it does not
produce toxins as it breaks down.
Every packaging element must
meet compostable requirements,
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

PROCESSING AND PACKAGING 41
including the board stocks, inks,
and adhesives, to be considered
compostable. It is vital to clarify
that the words ‘biodegradable’ and
‘compostable’ do not share the same
definition. Although biodegradable
packaging does break down, there
is no set amount of time, meaning
it could take several hundred years.
In contrast, compostable products
fully decompose within a given
time frame. The Biodegradable
Product Institute (BPI) certifies fully
compostable products, whereas
some biodegradable products do
not meet the correct criteria.
There are many benefits to
compostable packaging. The primary
advantage is that compostable
products can provide essential
nutrients to encourage growth
when fully broken down into the
earth. Some studies suggest that
these materials can improve the
overall soil structure and mitigate
the potential of flooding. Even if
compostable items unintentionally
end up in landfills, there will be no
chemical leaching, therefore providing
a sustainable end of life option.
Furthermore, compostable packaging
items are made from natural
materials, which is not necessarily
the case for biodegradable.
BENEFITS FOR THE PLANET
AND BUSINESS
Compostable packaging can help
manufacturers too. Research has
shown that consumers feel more
positive about their purchases if
they are buying an eco-friendly
product. As consumers become
more environmentally conscious,
capitalising on the changing market
demand to provide more sustainable
products can expand the customer
base for companies. Furthermore,
the implementation of sustainable
packaging solutions can help bolster
a company’s eco-friendly messaging.
Choosing a compostable alternative
for packaging can reduce waste
processing costs because natural
materials are typically lighter than
manufactured materials. This can
also reduce overall shipping costs.
When it comes to packaging design,
other materials can face design
restrictions. However, compostable
packaging enables greater design
innovation and freedom.
A key enabler in increasing the use
and capabilities of compostable
packaging has been the development
of effective compostable adhesives.
HOW DO COMPOSTABLE
ADHESIVES BENEFIT
COMPOSTABLE PACKAGING?
Compostable adhesives enable the
creation of fully 100% compostable
packaging. Using compostable
adhesives will ensure that the
packaging can decompose fully while
avoiding landfills, diminishing the
harmful greenhouse gases released
from food packaging waste.
Compostable adhesives can be used
in various applications, including
closed venues, single-use packaging,
single-use items, food packaging,
and municipal curbside collections.
COMPOSTABLE ADHESIVE WILL
HELP YOU STAND OUT
Bostik manufactures smart adhesives
that are fully compatible with
compostable materials. By being fully
biodegradable, they do not contribute
to the waste stream, helping promote
sustainability and clean environments.
Bostik’s Thermogrip 43298 is the firstever
BPI-certified hot melt adhesive
ensuring 100% compostable packaging.
The adhesive works within service
temperatures ranging from zero to
180°F (-17.7 to 82°C). This vast service
temperature range ensures that the
product can work well within most
processing methods. Thermogrip
43298 also provides excellent adhesion
to compostable plastics and fibres,
ensuring that performance and quality
requirements can be easily met.
With evolving consumer demands,
it has never been more critical for
companies in the food and beverage
industry to adopt improved and
more effective sustainable options,
especially for packaging. The pandemic
might have generated a shortterm
rise in demand for single-use
plastic and consumption. However,
the long-term direction of food and
beverage packaging trends is clearly
towards greater sustainability.
With the future of the planet and
humans’ responsibility to mitigate
their impact on it at the top of the
global agenda, calls for businesses to
adopt more environmentally friendly
packaging options will only continue
to grow now and in the future. FBA
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

42
PROCESSING AND PACKAGING
Reading the market: Three key
consumer trends spurring innovation in
confectionery processing technology
Through understanding the key factors driving the confectionery market,
manufacturers can better understand consumer demand and make
necessary adjustments to their business operations, enabling stronger
results both now and in the road ahead.
By Edward Smagarinsky, group product manager (mogul) of confectionery at tna solutions
A favourite with shoppers of all ages,
market reports suggest sweet treats are
set to become even more popular, with the
confectionery market's value predicted to
rise at a steady rate to reach over US$290m
by 2023 1 . To ensure they remain relevant in
this fast-growing market, it is more important
than ever that manufacturers understand
the trends shaping consumer demand and
explain how brands can tap into these insights
to set themselves up for sweet success.
SCOPING THE CURRENT
CONFECTIONERY MARKET
Fuelled by innovative concepts, such as
vegan gummies and 'better-for-you' candies,
volume and value indices are rising across
the global confectionery sector 2 . There are,
however, regional variations which brands
should consider while forming sales strategies.
Consistent with long-standing market trends,
Western Europe, North America, and Asia still
account for the highest proportion of sales for
both volume and value in 2021. Yet with high
competition in these regions, manufacturers
face significant challenges in increasing market
share 3 . Currently representing a relatively small
segment of the global market, the Middle East
and North Africa are due to deliver the highest
growth between 2021 and 2023, opening up
new opportunities for brands willing to cater to
a fresh consumer base 4 . Beyond the broader
trends, three important purchase drivers
have emerged that brands must address to
attract today’s conscientious consumers.
1. SUSTAINABILITY
In the wake of the COP26 climate summit,
interest in strategies for sustainable living is at an
all-time high. Consumers are looking for ways to
go green in their daily purchases by searching for
brands committed to environmental responsibility.
To appeal to these consumers, confectioners
should focus on reducing energy and material
use throughout the production process.
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PROCESSING AND PACKAGING 43
Progress towards sustainable confectionery
production operations starts by making small,
incremental improvements. By investing
in specialised processing and packaging
technology, manufacturers can chip away at
resource usage and seize improved operational
efficiencies along the way. Packaging
equipment auxiliary features like integrated
stripper tube-closers and product in-seal
detection (PISD) systems minimise the chance
of sugar or candy pieces becoming trapped
in the pack seal area. By implementing these
solutions, brands can limit pack rejections
and unnecessary plastic waste, building a
more profitable operation in the process.
Beyond physical equipment hardware,
advanced system controls and artificial
intelligence (AI)-enabled operating systems
can conserve valuable resources. The intuitive
energy-saving modes included in the latest tna
robag vertical form fill seal (VFFS) packaging
system reduces power usage by up to 20%,
enhancing productivity during operation
and then automatically shutting down when
the equipment is idle. As more equipment
solutions begin to incorporate smart control
software, manufacturers will be able to take
a holistic view of their processing operation,
identifying new ways to make their lines run
as smoothly and sustainably as possible.
2. FOOD AUTHENTICITY AND
TRACEABILITY
The complexity of modern-day supply chains
means traceability is no longer optional.
Consumers expect to know their food’s exact
source and how it was produced. Intersecting
these demands are continued concerns about
food safety, fuelled by both the pandemic
and increased awareness of the risks posed
by unacknowledged allergens. To address
these anxieties, manufacturers can call upon
the latest data collection systems. Intelligent,
accurate, and customisable, these tools
provide the insights brands need to offer
consumers truly traceable sweet treats.
Collecting data from as many parts of the
production process as possible is an essential
part of safe and efficient confectionery
processing. The adoption of fully-integrated
control systems has been instrumental in
improving food safety standards in recent
years, allowing continuous in-line status
checking throughout the entire production
process. Many of these total control solutions
feature cutting-edge data collection
equipment, like barcode scanners which verify
if the correct product batch is being processed
by scanning product barcodes and crosschecking
them with pre-approved production
schedules. To ensure product use-by dates can
be accurately calculated and communicated to
the consumer, date code assurance systems
confirm that date codes are printed, complete
and legible on the product packaging.
Finally, essential in-line monitoring systems,
like metal detectors and x-ray equipment,
continuously scan for foreign bodies,
pinpointing the source of contamination
within the product stream to guarantee the
safety of every pack. These systems also
allow manufacturers to establish a detailed
record of past performance data – opening up
potential for continuous progress monitoring
and a more transparent production process.
3. FOOD WASTE REDUCTION
Linked with sustainable operations, consumers
are looking to see confectionery manufacturers
address food waste. No longer are shoppers
willing to support a disposable approach to
consumption, especially when it comes to
precious resources like food. In Germany, 58%
of people surveyed stated they never discard
edible food, while 75% of UK consumers are
concerned about food waste – a sentiment
mirrored across the Atlantic where 66% of
Montana residents say the issue bothers
them ‘a lot’ 5-6 . Consequently, consumers
are demanding greater responsibility from
brands when it comes to food waste.
In gummy processing, the biggest opportunity
for food waste comes at the finishing stage,
where sugar coatings, citric acid powder
or oil are added. Traditionally, sugar is applied
by running products through a steam bath to
make the exterior tacky. They are then passed
through a sugar curtain before being tumbled in
a seasoning drum, causing delicately moulded
shapes to melt in the heat the steamer. In
addition, the sugar curtain seasoning method can
be difficult to standardise across batches, leading
to inconsistencies and excess sugar usage.
Brands can overcome these challenges by
adopting a more accurate, recipe-focused
approach to gummy finishing offered by
equipment like tna’s intelli-flav OMS 5 onmachine
seasoning solution. This advanced
system accurately coats each gummy in sugar
using a tacking agent to adhere the seasoning
rather than heat, ensuring even product
coverage without affecting any finer details of
the moulded gummy. This method uses the
exact amount of sugar, acid powder or other
flavouring ingredient required to coat the product,
resulting in a more consistent, high-quality
product while reducing seasoning wastage.
FORECASTING FUTURE TRENDS
The benefits that advanced equipment
operating systems can bring to confectionery
manufacturers have emerged as a common
theme. The potential for comprehensive
insights and continuous optimisation offered
by such systems empowers brands to address
the needs of consumers today and prepare
for wherever the market shifts next. FBA
REFERENCES
1
GlobalData, ‘Sector landscapes: chocolate, confectionery,
desserts, [report], March 2021
2
ibid, GlobalData
3
ibid, GlobalData
4
ibid, GlobalData
5
Benjamin H., James O., Barry, Varun N., Tarik T.,
Joseph M., Emmanuel A., Alexandra I., Methody
G., Sandra P., Rose K., Quinter O., James C.,
Joseph N., Marvel I., Stella-Maris, Rosalind R.,
Irina M., Kathy H., Sustainability and Food Waste
in European Markets, Wonder, 20 February 2021,
https://askwonder.com/research/sustainability-food-waste-european-markets-e8a0enluj
6
Ahmed Selena, Stewart Alyssa, Smith Erin,
Warne Teresa, Byker Shanks Carmen, Consumer
Perceptions, Behaviors, and Knowledge of Food
Waste in a Rural American State, Frontiers in Sustainable
Food Systems , Vol 5, 2021, https://www.
frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fsufs.2021.734785
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

44
PROCESSING AND PACKAGING
Beefing up F&B manufacturing
facility with automation and
digital technologies
By James Chae, vice-president, industrial automation, East Asia & Japan at Schneider Electric
Why have many food and beverage
firms increased their investment
in digital transformation? Public
perception in the press seems to
be that digitising operations allows
a traditional industry to appear
more modern. The reality, however,
is far from that. The deeper story
is that industry thought leaders
recognise the power of digitisation
to bring producers and consumers
much closer together. In fact,
digitisation enables food and
beverage firms to demonstrate
to consumers a higher level of
agility and more precise control
and traceability of the goods
they purchase and consume.
Consumers now demand access
to more data on the raw materials
comprised in food and beverage
products they buy. Specifically, they
want to verify the provenance of
these materials and whether they
have been processed in a safe and
sustainable manner. Therefore,
a new mentality for remaining in
business has emerged: accelerate
the push to digital transformation.
Digital solutions offer food and
beverage enterprises a path
for achieving the end-to-end
product and process traceability
requirements that customers seek.
Through opening up access to
data, digital solutions help plant
management accurately gauge
raw materials availability and
traceability across food processing,
storage, and delivery life cycles.
Early adopters of digitisation found
themselves in a much better position
to remain resilient and to compete.
The ability to quickly alter production
lines to better accommodate sudden
surges in demand for particular
products like soft drinks, flour, soups,
and canned beans, has proven to
be an asset to organisations caught
in the vortex of rapid marketplace
changes. In such an environment,
building a resilient business enables
supply chain continuity, improved
food safety, and easier traceability.
THREE F&B DIGITAL
TRANSFORMATION SUCCESS
STRATEGIES
Although no one can predict the future
of food and beverage manufacturing,
a number of strategies can serve as
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

PROCESSING AND PACKAGING 45
effective enablers for organisations
keen on building up their resilience and
agility through digital transformation.
An example is Molinos Florencia
Argentina, a South American producer
of wheat flour for domestic and export
markets, which deployed digitisationenabled
strategies to manage their
grain flour production facilities.
The following are some highlights
of their digital implementation:
1. Use of an Integrated Control
Automation system to facilitate
engineering and programming
Molinos Florencia was commissioning
a new mill with a production capacity
of 300 tons of flour per day. It required
an open systems architecture that
enabled seamless integration of batch
and historian software and an easy
integration between devices, control
systems and supervisory systems.
Through a Schneider Electric and
AVEVA Integrated Control Automation
system, library-based system
configuration and engineering
approaches were used to increase
the benefits of collaboration and
reduce the time it took to engineer
and modify control systems during
project design phases. The ability of
engineers to encapsulate and reuse
coded objects allowed the sharing
of objects across disparate systems.
In fact, a combination of application,
system and device/resource
models enabled the application to
be designed independently of the
underlying automation hardware.
Applications can thus be distributed
across heterogeneous devices
without additional programming
effort, and those devices can
interoperate following standardised
communications and data models
across networks. This single change
can decrease engineering cost and
commissioning time by up to 20%.
2. Seek out MES tools that better
Integrate control systems
New software tools, such as the
Schneider Electric Manufacturing
Execution System (MES) for CPG and
Batch & Recipe Management – a
complete control and supervisory
system that enables remote control
and monitoring of widely distributed,
linked assets – increased Molinos
Florencia’s operational efficiency by
allowing operators to make faster,
error-free process decisions while
maintaining the system’s integrity.
By accessing data flow, operators
see a complete picture of plant and
network operations, enabling them
to manage continuous improvement
while providing the flexibility to adapt
to changing market demands. Such
agility can lower operations cost by
up to 20% through saved workforce
hours and optimised production.
3. Align with the right partners
In the new digital world, the role of
systems integrators with expertise in
industrial automation becomes highly
important. In the case of Molinos
Florencia, the digitisation solutions
were implemented by local Schneider
Electric Alliance Partner, Aumax,
who performed the tight control
systems integration. This enabled
Molinos Florencia to initiate nimble
reconfiguration in response to changing
new product development (NPD) needs
and inventory levels. In deploying their
new system, the Molinos Florencia team
experienced 20% faster engineering and
programming. Consequently, product
quality and traceability met both
compliance requirements and maintain
preparedness in the case of food recalls.
Technology manufacturers, like
Schneider Electric, have established
global networks of such certified
Alliance Partners. These are
independent businesses staffed by
engineers accredited to work within
specialised technology environments
and specific industry segments, and
are sponsored by the local in-country
Schneider Electric management teams.
As food and beverage value chains
transform, more affordable smart
manufacturing and logistics systems
will enable raw materials origin
traceability, the tracking of products in
distribution, and the analysis of data
for both operational improvement and
ecommerce purposes. The beneficiaries
will be not only be consumers who
are better informed regarding the
products they buy and consume,
but also the manufacturers who can
cut operational costs while building
deeper customer relationships. FBA
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

46
PROCESSING AND PACKAGING
How seed and grain processors
can profit from the latest sorting
technologies
To profit from increasing global demand for seeds and grains, it is necessary
for manufacturers to overcome operational challenges. TOMRA Food
identifies these challenges through looking at the technologies available to
solve them, and explains how they can open doors to new business.
BIG OPPORTUNITIES
One main reason for the booming popularity
of seeds and grain – wherein experts
forecasting rising sales for years to come
– is income growth in highly-populated
developing nations. Already observed are
seismic shifts in global consumerism due
to economic growth in the most populous
nation, China. A recent study of 130 nations
by economic analysts FocusEconomics
concluded that the world’s fastest-growing
economy in the next five years will be India,
the second most populous country.
Another reason is the trend for healthy foods,
particularly in developed nations. Shoppers
are increasingly looking for ‘clean-label’
products containing natural and nutritious
ingredients, meaning that seeds and grains
are being added to more foods than ever
before. The best-selling examples of this are
bread, bakery goods, and snack bars – all
produced and consumed in vast quantities.
Market researchers forecast that in the
next five years, or possibly longer, the seed
market will expand in annual value at a
CAGR of 6-8%, rising from US$63bn in 2020
to $85-90bn in 2025. In the same period, the
grain market is expected to expand at a CAGR
of about 6%, from $1,150bn to $1,556bn.
Furthermore, grains include coffee beans, the
source of one of the most widely-consumed
drinks on the planet. Coffee prices reached
new record highs in fall 2021, according to
the World Coffee Organization. Though crop
prices fluctuate due to weather conditions and
variable yields, global demand is increasing.
Over the next five years, the annual value
of the coffee bean market is expected to
increase from $27bn at a CAGR of 6.7%. Much
of this growth is driven by rising demand
for coffee capsules for home consumption
and the opening of new franchise outlets
such as CCD and Starbucks in many nations
worldwide – including China and India.
PROCESSING CHALLENGES
The key challenge facing processors is that
new sales conquests are most likely to be
made in export markets where product
imperfections are not tolerated. It is thus
important for processing lines to detect and
eject foreign materials, defective products,
cross-contaminated products, and products
contaminated with mycotoxins. One
mycotoxin, aflatoxin, is a real concern: this
naturally-occurring poison can contaminate
corn kernels intended for use in foods for
human consumption and for pets, and
yet is extremely difficult to detect.
Another challenge is that supply lags behind
demand for many types of seeds and grains,
but it can take years to plant more crops or
enhance crop yields. This means processors
must be effective at reducing food waste.
Outdated sorting methods that discard large
amounts of good product when rejecting
bad products are unacceptable. Moverover,
rejecting too much good-in-bad is costly.
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PROCESSING AND PACKAGING 47
Yet another challenge that will become more
widespread is the emergence of genetically
modified (GM) crops. Though the sale of GM
foods will become more common, they are
unlikely to be welcomed by all consumers
and may even be restricted or banned by
some food regulators. Thus, preventing
non-GM foods from becoming crosscontaminated
with GM foods will be essential
for processors. Cross-contamination that
result in products containing unintended
ingredients, such as soy, which are
allergens, must also be prevented.
REASONS FOR OPTIMISM
All these challenges can be met by modern
optical sorting machines. TOMRA Food
offers a wide range of sorting solutions with
various levels of sophistication to perform
tasks of varying complexity. These machines
are calibrated for specific food applications
and highly effective for many types of seed
and grain. TOMRA machines are currently
in operation around the world, sorting seed
and feed corn, dry beans, lentils, etc.
TOMRA’s sorters also deliver other benefits.
These machines can grade to specification,
increase removal efficiency, minimise false
rejects, reduce or eliminate the need for
manual intervention, and reduce or eliminate
dependence on manual labour. The last
point is especially important in developing
nations that rely on manual processing,
which can be imperfect and subject
to human error. Meanwhile, automated
sorters can work for hour after hour with
accuracy, consistency, and efficiency.
Additionally, TOMRA’s machines are designed
to be easy to keep clean, improve food hygiene,
and be easily maintained, reducing line
downtime. Since TOMRA’s machine platforms
are equipped with optimally-located optical
sensors, sorting performance remains stable
even in when working conditions are dusty or
subject to temperature extremes. Users find
little or no degradation in sorting performance
from the beginning of a shift to the end.
WIDE-RANGING SORTING SOLUTIONS
TOMRA’s sorters can inspect materials
passing along the processing line according
to their shape, colour, structure, and
biological characteristics. The capabilities
a machine possesses depends upon its
technical specification, which incorporate
one or more ways of detection: x-ray, highresolution
cameras, lasers, near-infrared
(NIR) optical sensors, and TOMRA’s Biometric
Signature Identification technology.
A variety of TOMRA machines are bestsuited
to seeds and grains: the Ixus
Bulk, ZEA, TOMRA 3C, and Nimbus BSI+,
depending on the specific requirements.
The Ixus Bulk employs the latest x-ray
and imaging technology to detect
high-density foreign materials such as
metal, stones, glass, and plastics.
The ZEA, developed specifically for the
seed corn industry, is an affordable sensorbased
machine for sorting and grading ear
corn husk, defects, disease, and size.
The TOMRA 3C combines high-resolution
cameras with LED lighting plus laser or NIR
units to remove foreign materials and product
defects. This affordable and compact machine
needs very little floor space utilises the TOMRA
ACT user interface. By pouring infeed materials
into a hopper, the feed falls onto a vibration
plate and is spread evenly on an infeed chute.
The materials then fall further into a detection
area, where they are inspected by a dual laser
and double-sided high-resolution cameras. In a
matter of milliseconds, the intelligent inspection
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

48
PROCESSING AND PACKAGING
system rejects all defects. The acceptable
product continues through the accept chute
while the flaws are diverted via the reject chute.
The TOMRA 3C’s technologies has numerous
advantages: the dual laser-induced scattering
removes glass and foreign material; the
double-sided RGB cameras, combined with
high intensity LED lighting, remove small
colour and shape defects; the high-speed
ejection valve results in a very low rate of false
rejects; intelligent auto-cleaning sustains
the machine’s optimum performance; and
the control interface, with a large touch
screen showing application-specific tuning
parameters, is easy for operators to use.
The Nimbus BSI+ combines lasers with NIR,
visible spectroscopy, and TOMRA’s patented
BSI+ scanner, detecting objects’ biometric
characteristics and acting a free-fall machine. A
feed shaker or hopper spreads the product over
the free-fall chute uniformly; after the product
falls down to the inspection zone, it is scanned
by cameras, lasers or BSI+, or a combination of
these. A few milliseconds after the assessment
is made, the defects are hit with a burst of air
which sends them into the rejection zone while
the good product continues its natural free-fall.
The Nimbus’s technologies detect a broader
spectrum than other machines, making more
accurate decisions about the acceptability
and grading of materials on the line. When
equipped with the BSI+ scanner, the Nimbus
is capable of detecting both colour and
chemical composition in the same pass, and
removing unwanted materials and product
defects undetected by other sorters. When
equipped with the Detox laser module, the
Nimbus can also detect the aflatoxin.
One of the businesses using the Nimbus
BSI+ is Legumbres Selectas Sierra Nevada,
a Spanish enterprise specialising in pulses.
Vicente Jiménez Blanes, CEO for Legumbres
Selectas Sierra Nevada, said: “When I first
saw this machine in operation, I knew it was
exceptional, but I never imagined what it
was capable of. The results are amazing:
99.9% product purity, and we have gone
from processing 500kg per hour to a total
installed capacity of 5,000kg per hour. The
leap has been spectacular – installing the
two Nimbus BSI+ machines is the best thing
we’ve done in our company’s 57-year history.”
Another user of the TOMRA 3C and IXUS is
Termont & Thomaes, a Dutch company which
has been specialising in the sale of legumes,
grains and seeds for more than 100 years.
Ettienne Notschaele, process operator
at Termont & Thomaes’ plant in the town
of Biervliet, commented: “With TOMRA’s
machines, product quality and process
quantities both increase. The result of
using the TOMRA 3C and the IXUS is lower
yield-loss and happier customers. We are
also very happy with the guidance and
help we get from TOMRA, whose team
really put their heads together to come up
with solutions which help us progress.”
TEST AND DEMONSTRATION CENTRES
TOMRA provides on-site training for customers
and technical professionals are accessible
via a helpline. With the recently-launched
smartphone app, TOMRA Visual Assist,
TOMRA field service engineers and customers
can work closely together regardless of
distance. The engineer can provide detailed
advice as if present, and both the engineer
and the customer can share
documents or annotate images to
clarify and explain directions.
Before getting to this stage, food producers
can try-out TOMRA’s machines with
their own infeed materials at TOMRA’s
nearest test and demonstration centres.
There are eight demo centres around
the world in California, Chile, Belgium,
Turkey, China, India, Japan and Ireland.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, TOMRA
also offers online demonstration centres,
conducted via a live video link where
viewers are encouraged to ask questions,
make requests, and direct one of the
cameras showing the proceedings. After
the test’s conclusion, observers are
provided with a video and detailed report.
Altogether, these demonstrations allow
customers to be certain of a machine’s
capabilities and suitability before deciding
to invest in the technology. FBA
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PROCESSING AND PACKAGING 49
Delivering better–for–you
nut snacks with
comprehensive systems
Breakthrough design roasts nuts through curtains of oil
Nuts are the popular snack of
choice among consumers who are
aiming for a healthy, nutritious diet.
Manufacturers can leverage through
its growing demand by enhancing
nut production lines with advanced
processing equipment.
Health-conscious consumers
are driving demand for nutritional
snacks, making nuts a contender in
the “better-for-you” snack category.
The expanding list of coating and
seasoning options provides the
opportunity for snack processors
to capture this market. Highperformance
roasting and drying
equipment enhances nut recipes
and ensures consistent results in
the production line — regardless
of flavours, coatings, blends,
recipes, or cooking technique.
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PROCESSING AND PACKAGING
OIL ROASTING AND FRYING
Roasted nuts are cooked by
submersion into hot oil to fry the
product. Basic frying techniques
work well with common nut varieties
like peanuts, almonds, cashews,
pecans, and walnuts. Roasting nuts
enhance flavour and increases
shelf life. Higher-value nuts like
macadamias require specialist
frying techniques and high-quality
cooking oil to enrich their flavour.
The Heat and Control HeatWave
Fryer and Oil Roaster range of fryers
has revolutionised oil roasting with
a breakthrough design that roasts
the nuts through curtains of clean
filtered oil. The oil passes over the
product and through the conveyor,
immediately removing fines.
The consistent oil flow and wiping
action of the conveyor belt clean
fines on the full width of the pan
while the total system oil volume
circulates through a filter in a matter
of seconds, producing what Heat
and Control claimed as "the highest
quality product and cleanest
operation of any nut oil roaster".
Besides providing manufacturers
with savings through reduced oil
usage, the HeatWave Fryers and
Oil Roasters also have the lowest
oil volume of any continuous
roaster, the company added.
DRY ROASTING
The Rotary Dryer Roaster (RDR)
gives processors control in drying or
roasting with its continuous, gentle,
and sanitary manner. High volume
convective airflow, combined with
a gentle rotary motion, ensures all
product is uniformly treated with
heated air. Operators have control
over roasting and drying process
variables, enhancing colour, flavour,
and texture of the product.
The RDR’s design handles the raw
product in a continuous, highdensity
manner through a unique
flighted drum that ensures positive
motion. The drum design facilitates
a continuous first–in–first–out
product flow and has independent
fans and burners in multiple
convection zones. This provides
complete process control that can be
tailored to numerous product profiles.
SEASONING AND COATING
SYSTEMS
Seasoning and coating systems
ensure consistent, uniform
application of both liquid and dry
seasonings. They provide accurately
metered and sprayed liquids and
precisely measured dry powders
which ensure even seasoning
coverage suitable for applications
such as glazing, oil, water, salt, sugar,
dough, chocolate, yoghurt, batters,
and spice-based seasonings.
Food manufacturers enjoy significant
cost savings when using a singlesource
supplier. Heat and Control
has complete solutions for seasoned
and coated nut snacks including
frying, dryer and roasting, seasoning,
coating, conveying, and controls. FBA
The Rotary Dryer Roaster makes a variety of
product characteristics possible by utilising
multiple processing zones
HeatWave is said to have the lowest oil volume of
any continuous oil roaster
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

PROCESSING AND PACKAGING 51
Metal detection, x-ray – Or both?
Both metal detection and x-ray inspection systems play key roles in
product inspection for food and pharmaceutical companies. Choosing
the right technology requires consideration of many factors – starting
with the application.
By Ian Robertshaw, global key account manager at Mettler-Toledo
A layman might consider it an easy
choice: if you are looking for the best
inspection technology designed to detect
metal contaminants, then opt for a metal
detection system. On the other hand, if
you are looking for a system to detect both
metal and non-metal contaminants, then
choose the x-ray inspection system.
There is a kernel of accuracy in this
supposition, because very often, such as
with aluminium and wire, a metal detection
system will be better at detecting metal
than an x-ray system. However, the
decision is not necessarily so simple. For
example, what if you do need to identify
metal contaminants, but the product is
packaged in aluminium foil? The foil will be
seen as a detectable contaminant by the
metal detection system, thus rendering
the system unusable. An x-ray system,
meanwhile, sees straight through the foil to
get a better view of a contaminant inside.
The choice of technology is not simply
about the potential type of contaminant
that you are looking for; part of the
consideration is where in the production
process should the product be inspected.
For example, if your raw product needs
to be inspected before other valuable
ingredients are added then maybe a metal
detection system is best. However, for
end-of-line inspection when packaging
integrity checks are required, as well
as contaminant detection, then x-ray
technology will be more suitable.
What is certain is that product inspection
is a critical part of the food production
process, ensuring that consumers are
confident in the quality and safety of the
products they buy. Food manufacturers
should therefore consider carefully
when choosing whether to equip their
production lines with metal detection or
x-ray technology, or perhaps with both.
There are fundamental differences in
the ways that metal detection and x-ray
inspection technologies work. It is important
for food manufacturers to understand what
these differences are and how they can
impact the ability to perform optimally on
certain product inspection applications.
Application is key here: the nature of the
product, the fill process (ie., vertical form
fill seal – VFFS), the potential contaminant
types, and factors such as the physical
packaging, must all be brought into
the equation when selecting the right
contaminant detection technology. In
addition, constraints on finance and physical
space, and the range of additional quality
control checks should be considered.
METAL DETECTION
Modern metal detection systems can
identify all metals, including ferrous (such
as chrome and steel) and non-ferrous
(brass and aluminium, for example), as
well as both magnetic and non-magnetic
stainless steels. They work through a system
of coils, charged with an electrical current,
to create a balanced electro-magnetic
field. If a product passing through this
field contains a metal contaminant, the
magnetic field is disturbed; this disturbance
is interpreted by sophisticated electronic
circuitry and software algorithms.
A well-designed metal detector for use in
the food industry can detect a pinhead
in a loaf of bread, while a detector for
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52
PROCESSING AND PACKAGING
and pharmaceutical products, including
measuring mass, counting components,
identifying missing or broken products,
monitoring fill levels, detecting product
trapped within the seal and checking
for damaged product and packaging.
pharmaceutical applications can detect metal
contaminants less than 0.3mm in diameter.
In order to meet industrial demands, the
detector construction must be stable and rigid
enough to eliminate any movement of the
coil system, as even tiny vibrations can cause
rejection of perfectly good products. Airborne
electrical noise can also be problematic,
so it is essential for the metal detector to
operate reliably in a factory environment.
The product effect: When it comes to
inspection capabilities, metal detection is
especially suited to dry products, where
the lack of moisture means the product is
non-conductive, and therefore does not
generate a significant “product effect”.
Products with a high moisture content, or
those that are salty or acidic, are conductive;
as they pass through the metal detector,
they will emit a signal (ie the product
effect) that disturbs the detection field.
Product effect is a major consideration
which can lead to high false reject rates.
Besides the moisture or salt content of the
product, other factors that contribute to
product effect are product temperature,
format, consistency, size and shape, and
orientation on the production line.
Manufacturers can eliminate the impact of
product effect by installing a high-quality metal
detection system that uses a combination of
multi-simultaneous frequency operation and
software algorithms to optimise performance
and reduce the possibility of costly false
rejections. This technology enables the system
to have the right level of sensitivity – picking
up signals from very small metal contaminants
regardless of the application and providing
the highest level of brand protection.
In addition to packaged products, other
applications where metal detection can be
used include loose, unpackaged products;
pumped products such as liquids, pastes
and slurries; bulk powders; or free-flowing
solids under gravity-fall conditions. In
addition, tall, rigid containers such as
bottles, jars and composite containers can
also be inspected. In these applications,
however, inspection would need to take place
before a metal cap or closure is applied.
Type of packaging: Metal detectors using
multiple frequencies simultaneously or
operating at a single low frequency can
be used usually with products packed
in metallised film packaging, depending
on the film thickness. If aluminium foil
packaging, such as foil wraps or products
trays, are used, then the standard balanced
coil metal detectors will not be suitable.
A further aspect to consider – both with
metal detection and x-ray – is product
size, and we will come to this later.
X-RAY INSPECTION
X-ray inspection systems have the capability
to detect a wider range of contaminants
than metal detectors, including metal, glass,
stone, calcified bone, high-density plastics
and rubber. They can also perform a range
of additional in-line quality checks on food
The technology works by generating an
x-ray beam that passes through a product
for inspection and onto a detector. Some
of the x-ray beam is absorbed by the
product and any contaminant present,
and because most contaminants are
denser than the food and pharmaceutical
products that are being inspected, the
contaminants usually absorb more of the
x-ray energy. This difference in absorption
becomes apparent in an image generated
by the x-ray system, which is then
compared to a pre-determined acceptance
standard. The product is accepted or
rejected based on this comparison. When
rejected, the system sends a signal to
an automatic reject system, removing
the offending product from the line.
However, while x-ray can easily detect
these dense contaminants, with
low density contaminants such as
insects, wood and polyethylene film,
detection by x-ray is not possible.
Nevertheless, x-ray systems are able to
inspect a wide range of different product
types, including pumped products such
as slurries, fluids and semi-solids, bulk,
loose products, jars, bottles and cans,
and packaged products, including those
packaged in foil or metallised film.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT TECHNOLOGY
As shown, both metal detection systems
and x-ray inspection technologies have
strengths and weaknesses in the field
of product inspection. The process of
choosing the right system means going
back to the application and carrying out a
hazard analysis and critical control points
(HACCP) or hazard analysis and risk-based
preventive controls (HARPC) audit. This
will identify the risks of contamination
with the application and possible
types of contamination, and a greater
understanding of the requirements of any
customer or compliance related issues.
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

PROCESSING AND PACKAGING 53
MAKING IT SIMPLE
Metal detection or x-ray? The flow chart
(Figure 1) is a good starting point for
identifying the right answer. However, there
is an area of indecision where the application
is not packaged in foil and metals other than
aluminium are potential contaminants. As the
chart illustrates, in these scenarios a more
complex evaluation of options is needed.
Figure 1: This flow chart indicates the right detection system for different products
Critical control points (CCPs) should be
Metal contaminants in non-metal
established to mitigate the risks, and product packaging: This can be complicated. Metal
inspection equipment needs to be installed detection systems are more cost-effective
at these points. If the HACCP/HARPC audit but if the product is very large, a bigger
determines that metal is the only likely detector aperture will be needed, which
contaminant, then a metal detection system can reduce the sensitivity of the detector.
is probably going to be the best solution. If Multi- and high frequency technology
metal and/or other contaminants, such as can help, but a bigger metal detection
glass, stone or dense plastics, are likely to system will be required. X-ray strength
be encountered, then x-ray systems will be can be increased for larger products, but
the best solution. However, there are many the cost of installation increases as size
applications where the choice is less clear, increases. If there is a need to protect
and others where the right answer might be against non-metallic contamination,
to deploy both. Consider these examples: the choice will swing towards x-ray.
Aluminium contaminants in nonmetal
packaging: As a lightweight,
packaging; Performing additional quality
Non-metal contaminants in any
low-density metal, aluminium is hard for control issues: X-ray inspection is the only
x-ray to detect as a contaminant; metal solution, and the additional QC checks can
detection is generally the better solution. justify the additional cost of the technology.
Metal contaminants in aluminium foil Fast/variable line speeds; situations
packaging: Metal detection will be unable where there is limited space: Metal
to spot the contaminants amidst the foil detection (at 400m/min) is able to inspect
packaging unless it is a metallised film; at faster speeds than x-ray (120m/
x-ray is generally the better solution.
min), thus possessing an advantage
if other aspects of the application suit
Metal contaminants in gravity-fed metal detection better. Metal detectors
products: X-ray does not work well with are also less space-consuming than
falling, accelerating objects that do not x-ray detectors, so depending upon
have a uniform direction of travel; metal the application, might be more suitable
detection is the only viable solution.
in factories with limited space.
There may also be situations in which more
than one type of product inspection system is
desirable at different CCPs on the production
line. For example, it may be wise to install
a metal detector early in the processing
line to remove large metal contaminants
that could, if left present, cause damage to
machinery downstream, or fragment into
smaller and less easily detectable pieces.
Further down the production line, an x-ray
machine could then check for non-metal
contaminants, as well as carrying out further
quality control checks. A second, and more
sensitive, metal detection systems at the
end-of-the-line could be used to make a final
inspection for smaller metal contaminants.
In summary, the first step in choosing a metal
detector or an x-ray system for product
inspection is to consider its application – the
type of product, the type of likely contaminant,
and the location of CCPs. Metal detection
offers many advantages for raw product
inspection whereas x-ray inspection provides
multiple product and packaging integrity
checks, in addition to contaminant detection.
While more factors
will influence the
decision,
including
space
limitations,
total cost of
ownership and
productivity
targets, the
application
is where the
assessment
begins.
FBA
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

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FIRST LOOKS
Borealis
Borealis acquires minority stake in Bockatech Limited
Borealis has announced the acquisition
of a minority stake in Bockatech
Limited, a UK-based growth-stage
green tech business and inventor of
the innovative EcoCore manufacturing
technology platform for sustainable
packaging. The aim is to enable
more global customers, value chain
partners, and supply chain players to
benefit from a broader range of lighter
weight foam-based applications,
primarily in the packaging sector.
Building on a cooperation which began
in 2016 to develop foam injection
moulding solutions for reusable and
recyclable packaging, the partnership
has already generated success
with the 2020 “Close the Loop” pilot
project at Borealis sites in Belgium,
where over a million single-use
drinking cups were replaced with
30,000 EcoCore lightweight cups
that can be collected and washed for
reuse before being recycled. Thousands
of these cups were also used at the
recent COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland.
By intensifying their collaboration, Borealis
and Bockatech are accelerating the
development of more circular packaging
solutions for converters and brand owners
in order to meet demand for packaging
formats with lower environmental footprints.
Bockatech EcoCore uses optimised
polyolefin resins supplied by Borealis to
create mouldings that have skin-foamskin
walls with high strength-to-weight
ratios and thermal insulation. As minimal
investment in new equipment is required to
produce safe and reliable mouldings using
the EcoCore technology, converters can
readily move into more sustainable packaging
formats for a wide range of sectors.
In addition to reusable coffee cups, additional
applications for technology licensing are
foreseen, including more sustainable
reusable packaging types and lightweight
single-use solutions. Applications in
non-packaging product ranges are also
envisioned, as the EcoCore technology
is further advanced and scaled up.
The collaboration seeks to exemplify the
Borealis circular cascade model, where
design for eco-efficiency, reuse, and design
for recycling are key elements integrated
in a complementary and cascading way to
achieve plastics circularity. The EcoCore
technology platform aligns with the Borealis
circular cascade model on all three levels. ■
Clarifruit
Dole Sunshine Company and Clarifruit uses AI to reduce fruit loss
Clarifruit’s AI-powered QC software
platform uses advanced computer-vision
technology to automate fresh produce
quality inspection and evaluation while
analysing factors such as size, colour,
stem colour or any visible defects. The
platform also digitises and standardises
the quality control process, giving accurate
and data, and actionable insights.
The association with Clarifruit began
when Dole was setting up its Sunshine for
All Fund, announced in February 2021.
The US$2m annual fund sought to partner
with young companies and start-ups to
accelerate Dole’s adoption of innovation and
technology and was open to applications
from agri-tech start-ups around the world
that will help Dole deliver on the Dole
Promise to achieve zero fruit loss by 2025.
Barbara Guerpillon, head of Dole Ventures
at Dole Sunshine Company, said: “Our
collaboration with Clarifruit embodies the
objective of the Dole Sunshine for All Fund,
and we hope that other agri-tech start-ups
that are as committed to reducing food
insecurity and food waste will also apply.”
In early 2021, Dole successfully concluded a
pilot project with Clarifruit for its pineapple
exports from the Philippines to six markets
worldwide. The Clarifruit app is currently
used at Dole’s fresh pineapple packing plants
for pre-shipment inspection, as well as at
local markets for inspection upon arrival.
Elad Mardix, CEO and co-founder of
Clarifruit, said: “Dole is our first major
client in Asia to adopt AI in its operations,
and this partnership further supports our
vision for all fresh produce QC to run on a
single, standardised Clarifruit platform.”
Since implementing the Clarifruit software,
Dole has seen a more than twice the
productivity increase and reduction in errorprone
QC reports. In 2022, Dole plans to
scale this technology to additional markets
and fruit categories, including bananas,
papayas, and avocados. This partnership
will target a further 10% reduction in fruit
loss within the next three years. ■
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

FIRST LOOKS 55
Grundfos launches largest CR pump to celebrate 50 years of
pump technology
To celebrate 50 years of its range of CR
pumps, Grundfos has released its latest
CR 255 model. As Grundfos’ largest
vertical multistage inline pump to date,
the latest addition to the CR portfolio
will greatly enhance current energy
efficiency and performance standards
for vertical multistage inline pumps.
Grundfos’ range of CR pumps are the
world’s first vertical multistage centrifugal
inline pumps used predominantly for
water supply, water treatment and
almost all industrial solutions – including
those for high-pressure, hot, dangerous,
flammable, and aggressive liquids. Since
its inception, over 3.5 million CR pumps
now serve industries around the globe.
Industrial operations across different
sectors – from semi-conductor
manufacturing to food and beverage
processing – can be water and energyintensive.
Singapore's non-domestic
sector uses about 55% of its current water
supply and this is projected to increase
to 70% of its future water demand by
2060 1 . With the need for a constant flow
of large quantities of water, Grundfos
CR range is the most efficient way of
handling the production process.
of Grundfos CR offers world-class energy
efficiency.
• Greater cost-efficiency: With power
consumption responsible for 90% of
a product’s life cycle cost, greater
energy efficiency means greater cost
savings. Due to its small footprint, the
CR pumps are also much easier and
less costly to install than other pump
designs.
• Greater reliability: The new
generation of large CR pumps
has been made even more robust
than its forerunners through use
of state-of-the-art technology
in simulation-design, materials,
testing and production. CR pumps
are also equipped with predictive
monitoring, tracking pump health
24/7 and effectively alerts users to
possible process failures, reducing
unnecessary and costly downtime and
also eliminating the need for regular
servicing.
• More options: The new generation
adds even more options to what
was already the most modular
pump programme in the world. With
millions of possible variants in the
CR range alone, users can always
build a Grundfos CR pump to match
their exact specification – whatever
the application.
To ensure every single component is
perfected, Grundfos developed the
latest extension with over 10,000
simulations during the design process,
followed by rigorous real-world testing
before going into production. ■
REFERENCES
1
PUB – Singapore’s National Water Agency.
Water Efficiency Benchmarks.
2
Grundfos, Austrian utility: ‘We didn’t believe
energy savings of this size were possible’.
Please note that the case study references
specifically CR 95; actual pump performance
and efficiency is subject to application and
site operation.
Grundfos
Grundfos’ largest vertical multistage
inline pump, the new CR 255 model
delivers water pressure of up to 400m
and achieves a maximum water flow of up
to 320m 3 /h, the equivalent of supplying
water to 9,500 people. For industrial
processes such as water booster supply,
similar large Grundfos CR pumps have
demonstrated improved performance by
up to 30% compared to regular pumps 2 .
KEY BENEFITS OF THE GRUNDFOS
CR PUMP RANGE INCLUDE:
Greater energy-efficiency: With its
optimised hydraulic design – from impeller
and guide vanes to inlet, discharge port,
sleeve, and diffuser – the new generation
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

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FIRST LOOKS
HP
Italiya Graphics installs HP PageWide C500 corrugated
press in Asia-Pacific
Italiya Graphics has announced its
acquisition of the HP PageWide
C500 corrugated press to expand
its packaging offering of corrugated
products and digital printing services.
The industrial-scale press will be the
first C500 installed in Australia, enabling
Italiya to provide brands in Australia and
across the region offset print quality,
reduced waste and obsolescence and
turn work around quickly and reliably.
The C500 offers an improved operational
efficiency and a resilient supply chain,
overcoming pandemic uncertainties
and delays. With its true water-based
ink technology, the C500 also ensures
that Italiya’s packaging solutions are fully
sustainable, recyclable and compostable.
Beyond sustainability, the HP PageWide
C500 corrugated press will expand
Italiya’s offerings and services and enable
them to deliver customisable, offset-quality
products with breakthrough time to market.
The C500 allows Italiya to meet consumersafety
requirements of food-compliant,
no plastic lamination packaging and
sensitive products packaging, using
true water-based inks 100% free of UVreactive
chemistries 1 . The HP inks meet
stringent industry requirements such
as USDA FDA 21 CFR, Nestlé guidance,
Swiss Ordinance, and EuPIA.
The C500, based on HP Thermal Inkjet
technology, provides offset print quality for a
wide range of corrugated packaging and display
applications on both coated and uncoated
sheets, delivering sharp text and barcodes,
smooth tone transitions and vivid colours for
low to high migration volume of litho and flexo
jobs. Designed for producing high quality print in
demanding production environments, the press
prints at 75 linear m/min in top print quality with
1200NPI resolution using one million nozzles.
Italiya’s green roadmap includes installing
900+KW solar panels and 500KW batteries,
significantly reducing their carbon footprint. ■
REFERENCES
1
Primary and secondary, non-contact corrugated
packaging, requiring no additional barriers; For
more details on the appropriateness of these inks
on specific packaging applications contact HP for
documentation
Napasol
Napasol launches roast finish module, adding roasting
capabilities to Statisol pasteurisation lines
The Napasol pasteurisation process delivers
enhanced food safety while maintaining the
raw characteristics of nuts. The inclusion
of a roast finish module to the Statisol
pasteurisation line has allowed adding
a precisely controlled roasting step. The
pathogen control step is performed in the
pasteuriser allowing the roast finish module
to deliver a full range of time and temperature
parameters to develop the perfect roast.
The roast finish process allies the benefits
of the batch process with the advantages
of the Napasol product flow. In the Napasol
lines, the product moves through the
processing line safely loaded in bins. The
successive process steps are applied to the
product in the bin in which it is preheated,
pasteurised, roasted and cooled. The
product moves undamaged through the line
without breakage, scuffing, waste, or dust.
This Napasol design has multiple benefits
including better control of pasteurisation
and roasting parameters in a batch process.
With the bin logistics, product damage and
waste are reduced, down time for cleaning
is minimal, and maintenance and operating
costs are low. The batch roast finish module
allows defining recipe parameters for each
nut for reaching specific colour and flavour
development targets. For raw pasteurised
product, the bins pass directly through the
roast finish module without roasting. The
roast finish module can also be retrofitted
on existing Napasol pasteurisation lines.
The first roast finish module goes into
commercial operation at Patiswiss,
Gunzgen, Switzerland in March 2022.
With the Napasol roast finish module, a wide
range of parameters can be applied to produce
desired colours, flavours, and textures. ■
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

FIRST LOOKS 57
Waddington Europe launches mono-material recyclable
meat tray
European thermoforming packaging
specialist Waddington Europe, a
division of Novolex, has introduced
an innovative recyclable tray for
meat, fish and poultry products.
The container, called Piranha, is sealed using
a series of raised teeth that run around
the sealing flange instead of applying a
layer of polyethylene or adhesive, which
are typically used to seal the lid of modified
atmosphere packaging (MAP). The raised
teeth maintain the seal's integrity even
if the flange becomes contaminated
by animal fat, which can interfere with
closure on traditional packaging for
meat, fish and poultry (MFP) products.
With Piranha, greasy contaminants are
forced into the channels between the raised
teeth, leaving the peaks clear and
clean to contact the PET top web.
Under the same sealing temperatures
and dwell time, the top web adheres
to the peaks, creating the seal despite
the presence of contaminants.
During filling-line trials of Piranha,
the problem of burst seals due to
grease contamination on mono-rPET
sealing was cut to almost zero.
As a mono-material package,
the tray is capable of being fully
recycled. Piranha can also be made
with up to 100% recycled PET (rPET)
and is plastic tax-compliant in the UK
“We are always trying to find
innovative ways to reduce our
carbon footprint and promote
circularity, as well as help our
customers and their consumers do
the same,” said Eduardo Gomes,
managing director of Waddington
Europe. “Our packaging development
team has really hit the mark with
Piranha, enabling us to optimise
the use of recycled content
and provide a product that's
capable of being easily recycled
back into food-grade rPET.” ■
Waddington Europe
Empa and Lidl Switzerland develop ecological coating for
bananas
Empa
Empa and Lidl Switzerland have jointly
developed a cellulose protective coating
for fruit and vegetables. The novel
coating is made from pomace, which
are squeezed fruit and vegetable peels.
The innovative project can reduce
packaging and prevent food waste.
than a year developing a special protective
cellulose coating that can be applied to
fruits and vegetables. The result: coated
fruits and vegetables that stay fresh
significantly longer. In tests, the shelf life
of bananas was extended by more than a
week. This significantly reduces food waste.
Plastic packaging in grocery stores protects
fruits and vegetables from spoilage, but
also creates significant amounts of waste.
Together with the retailer Lidl Switzerland,
Empa researchers have now developed a
protective cover for fruit and vegetables
based on renewable raw materials. For
this project, Lidl chose Empa as a partner
because Empa had decades of research
experience with cellulose products.
In Empa's cellulose and wood materials
laboratory, the researchers spent more
"The big goal is that such bio-coatings
will be able to replace a lot of petroleumbased
packaging in the future," said
Gustav Nyström, head of the Empa lab.
The idea is to process pomace into fibrillated
cellulose. Pomace is the solid residue left
over after extracting the juice from fruit,
vegetables or plants. Previously, this plant
leftover was disposed of in biogas plants or
directly on the field; in future, it can used to
create a protective coating for fresh fruit.
The coating is either sprayed onto the fruit
Yellow is the new brown: The lower of these
10-day-old bananas is protected by a
cellulose coating (Photo credit: Manifesto
Films, Lidl Schweiz)
or applied to the produce as a dip and
is easy to wash off. As it is harmless to
the consumer, it can also be consumed
without harm. The potential of cellulose
coatings has not been exploited; there
is the possibility of adding additives
such as vitamins or antioxidants. ■
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

58
FIRST LOOKS
igus
igus receives UL approval for halogen-free TPE cables
igus has received the UL AWM
certification from US organisation
Underwriters Laboratories (UL) for
its TPE cables that do not use fireretardant
halogens as additives. This
marks a first for the testing organisation
to recognise that halogen-free TPE
cables can also meet the fire protection
requirements in the industry.
UL is one of the most important
authorities in the US in terms of product
safety. It has been testing components
of machines and systems since 1894
to determine if they are suitable for
industrial use. Their seal is one of
the prerequisites for a successful
market entry in North America.
Fire protection is a key decisive criterion.
This is because, according to the US
National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA), machine fires are the fourth
leading cause of fires in industrial
environments in the US, closely followed
by fires caused by electrical factors.
"That is why we are particularly pleased
that igus has now become the world's
first manufacturer to receive a UL
seal for halogen-free TPE cables,"
said Rainer Rössel, vice-president
and head of the chainflex cables
business unit at igus. "The approval
demonstrates to our customers that
they have the safety aspect with
chainflex high-end TPE cables."
FIRE PROTECTION CAN BE
ACHIEVED WITHOUT HALOGENS
For this certification, the igus engineers
had to do a lot of persuading. Up to
now, the flame retardancy of cables
has been the key factor in obtaining UL
certification for fire protection. Approval
is therefore only granted to products
containing flame retardants such as
chlorine, fluorine or bromine. These
additives increase the flame retardancy.
Change of perspective: the long service life of the chainflex high-end TPE cables convinced
the testers. This is the first time that halogen-free TPE cables have also received UL
certification (Photo credit: igus GmbH)
However, it has not been taken into account
that the flame retardants generally change
the chemical structure of the jacket and
reduce the mechanical load-bearing capacity.
Therefore, igus started much earlier in the
process: The company focussed less on
preventing a fire from spreading, and more
on how the cable itself caused the fire.
The TPE jacket compounds from igus are
extremely resistant to mechanical loads
and external influences. They can therefore
be used in a wide range of applications:
in small installation spaces of up to 4xd,
on highly dynamic, short travels with
accelerations of 100m/s² or on long travels in
a temperature range from -35°C to +100°C.
At the same time, they are extremely media
resistant, even with special organic oils.
In all of these energy chain applications,
the halogen-free TPE jacket compounds
from igus minimise premature ageing of the
outer jacket by a factor of up to 10 when
compared to the same materials containing
flame retardants. A decisive cause of fire is
reduced. This is because if the jacket does
not break the cable, then it cannot cause a
fire. In other words, a reduction in the cross
section of the cores is impossible due to
the non-existent jacket break. This was an
argument which finally convinced the UL.
FLAME RETARDANCY OF TPE CABLES
IS NO LONGER THE MEASURE OF ALL
THINGS
With these measures, igus made a significant
contribution to increasing machine
safety. The long-term flexural strength
and service life of chainflex cables in the
e-chain have been proven by numerous
practical tests in the in-house igus test
laboratory – and not just for TPE cables.
"So far, customers have already had the
opportunity to choose from 1,044 chainflex
cables with UL approval," Rössel pointed out.
"With the new certification, there are now
more than 200 TPE cables, so we can offer an
almost complete UL certified product range."
Customers in Europe benefit from the cables
being halogen-free, as do those who build
machines for the North American market,
where UL certification of the individual
components is the required rule. ■
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

FIRST LOOKS 59
Eco Wrap Stretch Film receives TÜV Austria’s OK Compost
Certificate
Cortec Corporation’s Eco Wrap stretch
film has received the ‘OK compost
IN¬DUSTRIAL’ certificate from TÜV Austria
last November. This certifies that Eco
Wrap conforms to the criteria for industrial
compostability under EN 13432 (European
equivalent of ASTM D6400). Eco Wrap
is an industrial-strength machine grade
stretch film launched by the company
earlier last year. Most applications
requiring three wraps of standard film
can use two wraps of Eco Wrap without
sacrificing strength or protection.
This green packaging solution may allow
users to avoid tariffs, fines, and tip fees in
areas where polyethylene is prohibited or
restricted. Eco Wrap is shelf and curb stable
and will retain its integrity until disposed
of properly. The latest formula of Eco Wrap
uses a certified compostable resin plus
a tackifier additive to make an industrial
strength compostable stretch wrap that can
be used on most standard automated stretch
wrap equipment. This is a breakthrough for
the industrial packaging and warehousing
industries which rely heavily on automated
stretch wrapping to prepare pallets of
goods for storage, inventory, or shipment.
Eco Wrap can be used in numerous
applications where conventional stretch
film is needed, such as agriculture
bundling, corralling of goods for storage
and shipment, pallet wrapping, luggage
wrapping at airports, packaging construction
materials, and transporting furniture.
Eco Wrap is extremely elastic and works
on most existing automated machines.
The film is easily applied by adjusting the
tension. By opting for Eco Wrap, users can
improve their environmental image while
getting the necessary packaging job done.
The development of Eco Wrap marks
a step towards making commercially
compostable packaging more versatile
and widely available globally. This
compost certification of Eco Wrap and
is a breakthrough after many years in
development, making this compostable
machine grade stretch wrap a viable option
for use in several industrial applications.
Eco Wrap is available from Cortec’s
European plant, EcoCortec located
in Croatia, and North American film
production base, Cortec Advanced Films. ■
Cortec Corporation
Syntegon introduces new packaging machine for coffee
Syntegon Technology has expanded its
portfolio for coffee packaging machines
with the PMX packaging machine for
ground coffee and whole beans.
The PMX is composed of individual modules,
making dosing and closing stations, and
the machine design, configurable. Specific
customer requirements can be realised
alongside output efficiency: the PMX packs
up to 65 packages of 500g of whole coffee
beans per minute. The double tube version
of the machine reaches an output of up to
100 packages per minute. All stations are
designed to process recycable packaging
materials and valves made of monomaterials
like polypropylene or polyethylene
to meet sustainable operations.
3D format changes on the closing unit can
also be achieved automatically. If the bag
cross-section format is changed, the machine
will be ready for use again after 30 minutes. It
is therefore suited for packaging formats in
all sizes – various bag variants and closing
elements can be combined. The PMX
produces coffee bags with package weights
between 200 and 1200g, both with upright
and downfolded top parts. The bags are
reclosable via tin tie, labels or adhesive tape.
Manufacturers can also use a spout closure
through which the coffee beans are emptied
out at the packaging side. The "neutrafill"
process ensures aroma protection.
To maximise the print area and create
easy-to-read labels, the full-corner seal
does not have longitudinal seams on the
back of the packaging. By positioning the
full-corner-sealing module in the front
area of the forming tube, the packaging
materials can be retracted within just
a few cycles, reducing material loss
The lower machine height reduces cycle
time, enabling higher packaging speeds.
This also results in a lower drop height for
the coffee beans, reducing the breakage
rate and rejects significantly and leading to
better ergonomics. The full-corner-sealing
can be retrofitted to existing PMX machines
at any time. To keep energy consumption
as low as possible, the PMX is equipped
with condition monitoring. In addition, the
consumption of inert gas and packaging
material can be digitally monitored and
controlled. Machine
data is collected
in real time and
clearly displayed on
dashboards. ■
The PMX is suitable
for numerous
small, medium and
large packaging
formats. Different bag variants and
closure elements can be combined.
Syntegon Technology
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

60
FIRST LOOKS
Krones
Steinecker uses brewer’s grains and yeast as sources of
protein and energy
For most breweries, brewer’s grains
are just what’s left over after brewing
and often merely used as animal feed.
In some cases, breweries even have
to pay for their disposal. However,
much more is hidden in the residual
materials from the brewing process,
providing options for sustainability
and extra business for breweries. A
project pursued jointly by Steinecker
and the two development specialists
Prof Waldemar Reule and Dr. Rainer
Gottschalk demonstrated how this can
be successfully managed. The concept
they have developed is now for the first
time translated into shopfloor reality at
the Ustersbacher Brauerei in Bavaria.
FROM RESIDUE TO RAW
MATERIALS
Spent grains and yeast are residual
materials that contain protein. Whereas
the Brewnomic has so far focused
only on using residual materials
for energy recovery, the project
team has meanwhile developed a
process for material recovery. This
process consists of three steps:
First, proteins are extracted from
the residual materials. This is done
in a three-vessel system, similar
to the concept of the CombiCube
brewhouse. Following dispersion
and hydrolysis, protein is separated
by means of membrane filtration.
In the second step, the remaining
biomass is acidified. After that mineral
fertiliser is obtained by means of an
ion exchanger. This is followed by
energy recovery in the form of biogas
production. The brewery’s wastewater
is also added and purified here.
PROTEIN – HIGHLY SOUGHT
AFTER ON THE MARKET
Protein extraction has proven
particularly profitable for breweries.
Thanks to the trends towards a sustainable,
healthful and vegan lifestyle, demand
for plant-based protein sources is rising
in the manufacturing industry. Potential
buyers of this highly sought-after
raw material include not only dairies
and food-processing plants, but also
producers of food supplements and the
cosmetics industry. Moreover, selling
the mineral fertiliser and the savings
achieved by feeding in biogas also pay
off for the brewery. Thus, the sum of
annual revenues results in a return on
investment (ROI) of just a few years,
which is substantially shorter than that of
a classical biogas plant where the spent
grains are used only for energy recovery.
FIRST-TIME USE IN THE
USTERSBACHER BRAUEREI
The Ustersbacher Brauerei in Bavaria will
be the first to use the concept developed
for spent-grains upcycling in shopfloor
reality. The preconditions are ideal.
“Over the past ten years, we’ve already
implemented a number of measures.
With each of these, we’ve taken one step
at a time towards achieving our goal:
to become an energy-self-sufficient
brewery using the Brewnomic concept.
So it is only logical that our aim now is to
also make maximally sustainable use of
the residual materials from the brewing
process,” explained Stephanie Schmid,
owner of Usterbacher Brauerei.■
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

2022 EVENTS CALENDAR
FEBRUARY
13 – 17 Gulfood Exhibition 2022
Dubai World Trade Centre (Dubai Exhibition
Centre)
Dubai, UAE
www.gulfood.com
MARCH
8– 11 FoodEx Japan
Makuhari Messe
Chiba, Japan
www.jma.or.jp/foodex/en
15 – 17 Food Ingredients China 2022
National Exhibition and Convention Center
(NECC)
Shanghai, China
www.cfaa.cn/lxweb/toIndex.action?type=fic.en
23 – 26 FoodTech International
Jakarta International Expo,
Jakarta, Indonesia
www.foodbeverageindonesia.com
APRIL
4 – 7 Food Pack Asia
Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition
Centre (BITEC)
Bangkok, Thailand
www.foodpackthailand.com
26 – 28 FoodTech Krasnodar
Expograd Yug
Krasnodar, Russia
www.foodtech-krasnodar.ru/en-gb
26 - 29 Anuga FoodTec
Köln Messe
Cologne, Germany
www.anugafoodtec.com
MAY
24 - 28 THAIFEX – Anuga Asia 2022
Impact Exhibition & Convention Center
Bangkok, Thailand
www.thaifex-anuga.com/en/
JUNE
15 – 18 ProPak Asia
Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition
Centre (BITEC)
Bangkok, Thailand
www.propakasia.com/ppka/2021/en/index.asp
7 – 10 FOOMA Japan
Tokyo Big Sight
Tokyo, Japan
www.foomajapan.jp/2022/english
22 – 24 Hi & Fi Asia-China
National Exhibition Convention Center
Shanghai, China
www.figlobal.com/china/en/home.html
20 – 22 ANUFOOD China
Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention
Shenzhen, China
www.anufoodchina.com
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022 61

JULY
7 – 8 FoodTech Qld
Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre
Queensland, Australia
www.foodtechqld.com.au/exhibit
10 – 13 IFT Food Expo
McCormick Place
Chicago, USA
www.iftevent.org
26– 29 BIOFACH 2022
Exhibition Centre Nuremberg
Nürnberg, Germany
www.biofach.de/en
10 – 12 Food Technology Asia
Karachi Expo Centre
Karachi, Pakistan
www.foodtechnologyasia.com
20 – 22 Foodtech Packtech
Auckland Showgrounds
Auckland, New Zealand
www.foodtechpacktech.co.nz
OCTOBER
5 – 7 Fi Asia – Thailand 2022
Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre
(BITEC)
Bangkok, Thailand
www.figlobal.com/asia-thailand/en/home.html
AUGUST
11 – 13 swop 2022
Shanghai New International Expo Centre
Shanghai, China
www.swop-online.com/en
24 – 26 Shanghai International Condiments & Food
Ingredients Exhibition
Shanghai New International Centre
Shanghai, China
www.cfi-expo.com/en
SEPTEMBER
5 – 8 FHA Food & Beverage
Singapore Expo
Singapore
www.foodnhotelasia.com
7 – 9 Asia Fruit Logistica
AsiaWorld Expo, Hong Kong
www.asiafruitlogistica.com
12 – 14 Fi Vietnam
Saigon Exhbition and Convention Centre (SECC)
Saigon, Vietnam
www.figlobal.com/vietnam/en/home.html
12 – 14 Tokyo Pack 2022
Tokyo Big Sight (East Hall)
Tokyo, Japan
www.tokyo-pack.jp/en
25 – 28 FHA HoReCa
NOVEMBER
Singapore Expo
Singapore
www.foodnhotelasia.com
29/11 – WORLD AQUACULTURE Singapore 2022
2/12 Singapore EXPO
Singapore
www.was.org/Meeting/code/WA2020
With the evolving COVID-19 situation, kindly check with
organisers for updates on the related events. Please refer to the
local airports’ websites for the latest travel advisories too.
62 FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

SHOW PREVIEW 63
FOOMA JAPAN 2022 returns
to Tokyo after three years
Centering on Japan's cutting-edge food manufacturing and
processing machinery, FOOMA JAPAN 2022 will feature a line-up of
innovative solutions in food manufacturing.
FOOMA JAPAN is one of Asia’s largest
comprehensive trade show on food
technology, drawing over 100,000 visitors
every year. In its 45th year, FOOMA JAPAN
2022 will be held at Japan’s largest
international exhibition venue, Tokyo Big
Sight, from 7-10 Jun 2022, in accordance to
the guidelines of the Japanese government
and municipality of the host location to
ensure the safety of visitors and exhibitors.
This year’s show will bring together cuttingedge
food manufacturing and processing
machinery, showcasing technology and
services that responding to the changing
needs and demands of the evolving food and
beverage industry. With over 700 exhibiting
companies spanning across a 66,000sqm
exhibition floor, visitors will have the
opportunity to experience next-generational
standards through the operation of machinery
in all fields of food manufacturing. The exhibits
will range from advanced, automated, and
labour-reducing machinery, and sterilisation
equipment, to robots and artificial intelligence
(AI), and food hygiene management.
Held in a hybrid format on both its live
venue in Tokyo and on a virtual platform,
visitors from overseas can participate
in FOOMA JAPAN as well. Furthermore,
a Chinese site will be introduced on the
official website in April, allowing visitors to
gather information in English or Chinese.
CELEBRATING INNOVATION IN JAPAN
Under the theme, “Restart FOOMA”,
FOOMA JAPAN will be undertaking new
innovation projects. A notable example
is a start-up zone which brings together
numerous start-up companies, ranging from
Japan’s venture companies to foodtech
firms. Together, this zone will be presenting
their advanced technology and products.
The FOOMA Award, which celebrates the results
of groundbreaking technological research
and development, will also be inaugurated.
The awards will be presented to Japan’s
best food manufacturing and processing
technology, which showcases and introduces
the country’s technical capabilities to the world.
A SCALED-UP EXHIBITION
As a global trade show, FOOMA JAPAN has
attracted a great number of companies to
display their machinery in action, turning its
exhibition grounds into the likes of a food factory.
This year, exhibitors from over 700 companies
will demonstrate their technology and products.
Deli manufacturing and processing, and
foodtech, are two of the new fields introduced
in this year’s show. Also participating in
FOOMA JAPAN are exhibitors from the
fields of IT and Internet of Things (IoT),
including Japan’s food industry robots. Other
exhibitions include a technology display of
manufacturing management systems, factor
remote observation systems, and ingredient
management systems for reducing food residue.
In response to the global sustainable
development goals, FOOMA JAPAN will also
feature the latest in environmental protection,
and energy-saving and recycling technology.
Following the major trends of the industry,
these exhibitions will direct businesses to
innovative solutions and deliver them to
the next phase of food manufacturing.
In conjunction with the exhibition, FOOMA
JAPAN is also releasing an email newsletter.
Readers who register for the newsletter will
receive the FOOMA JAPAN MAGAZINE, which
contains information on exhibitors and their
products, as well as the latest information
on entering Japan. Registration is available
on FOOMA JAPAN’s official website. FBA
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

64
ADVERTISERS’ INDEX
COMPANY
Flexicon
PAGE
01
FOOMA Japan 07
ABOUT US
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igus 09
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Kerry Taste & Nutrition 21
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