Food & Beverage Asia June/July 2022

JUNE / JULY 2022

www.foodbeverageasia.com

Creating sustainable value in food

Baked goods: The push for clean label, natural ingredients

The balance of powder with product inspection solutions

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2

CONTENTS

Contents

26

MARKET INSIGHTS

12 Creating sustainable value

in food

BITING ISSUES

15 Symrise / Haofood

16 Mintel

17 DSM / Jebsen & Jessen

18 Above Food / Blommer

Chocolate Company

19 Chr. Hansen / Superbrewed

Food

20 Pharmactive Biotech

Products / Plantwise

21 MISTA / Do Good Foods

22 Barry Callebaut

23 Arjuna Natural

34

INGREDIENTS

24 Baked goods: The push

for clean label, natural

ingredients

26 A natural chewing experience:

Chewing gum with ERYLITE

erythritol

30 Building an ironclad immunity

with gut-friendly food

ON THE TABLE

32 Sodexo walks the walk on

sustainability

34 The greener side of life: ADM

delivers botanical additions to

brands and consumers

FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2022

CONTENTS 3

40

45

60

PROCESSING & PACKAGING

36 High-performance metal

detection for expanding

product ranges

38 Safeguarding the food

safety and product quality

in an indoor vertical farm

40 Food preservation: Natural,

clean and safe

43 Efficient operating

processes give dairy a

sustainable impact

45 The balance of powder

with product inspection

solutions

FIRST LOOKS

48 Amcor / Smurfit Kappa

49 NORD Drivesystems

50 PLF International / Walki

52 Gericke / Mencom

53 Thermo Fisher / Bruker

54 Emerson / TAGBOX

55 Tetra Pak

56 Flexicon

57 Asahi Photoproducts / igus

58 Elopak / SABIC

SHOW REVIEW

60 Increased delivery capacity

and new products at igus

press conferences 2022

62 THAIFEX – Anuga Asia 2022

concludes with trends in the

food and beverage industry

revealed

REGULARS

4 Editor’s Note

6 News

63 Events Calendar

64 Advertisers’ Index


4

EDITOR’S NOTE

Securing a

sustainable future for

today’s food system

Agatha Wong

Assistant Editor

Just as the world barely emerges from

the shadow of the pandemic, it plunges

into other issues: climate change,

disruption of food exports from global

conflict, and trade protectionism. In

these tough times, producers have to

stand firm and set their eyes on the long

term to ensure a resilient food system for

global consumers.

In an interview with David Hughes, CEO

of Plant & Food Research, he raised the importance of raising

the value of food as the way forward. Rather than focusing

on achieving low cost, Hughes shared that enhancing the

wellness benefits of foods could provide the sustainable

solution that consumers are looking for (pp. 12).

Likewise, Sodexo is leading the path on sustainability as it

works with local communities and organisations. In Singapore,

the company has worked together with the local government

to implement their WasteWatch programme to reduce food

waste, and partnering with Cryowerx to deploy RFID smart

fridges (pp. 32).

Likewise, Synerlink has made its mark on the sustainability

effort with the use of PET and FFS. By ensuring that the

lifecycle of plastics remains in a closed, circular loop,

companies can not only appeal to shifting consumer demands

for greener packaging but also leave an indelible impact on the

environment (pp. 43).

With mounting pressure from both the supply chain and the

world at large, food and beverage manufacturers must keep

a sharp eye on how they can play a part in creating a more

secure food system. Food & Beverage Asia takes a deep dive

into this journey, bringing you insights into building a better

future.

LET’S CONNECT!

@foodandbeverageasia

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Publications Director

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NEWS 5

BENEO acquires

Meatless to

further expand its

portfolio of plantbased

solutions

BENEO has announced the acquisition of

Dutch company, Meatless. The move

comes amid a huge rise in demand

for plant-based products, with figures

showing that the market for fish and meat

alternatives is expected to grow by more

than 10% CAGR over the next five years.

The acquisition of Meatless allows BENEO to

broaden its portfolio and offer customers a

versatile selection of plant-based solutions

that serve as texturisers for meat and fish

alternatives. BENEO sees great prospects

for the new range of solutions in Europe

as a focus market in the first instance,

with plans to further expand globally.

Meatless, founded in 2005 and located

in Goes, The Netherlands, is a supplier of

textured plant-based ingredients with a

portfolio of solutions derived from different

raw materials. This range complements

BENEO’s ingredients portfolio and allows

for exciting new combinations. Hence,

BENEO’s customers will benefit from a

much broader variety and greater flexibility

that supports the development of meat

and fish alternatives.

Meatless’ products are sustainable by

design, with the production processes

achieving a very low carbon footprint, further

supporting BENEO’s aim to use production

facilities to reduce total CO2 emissions.

The current management of Meatless will

stay on board following the acquisition.

Jos Hugense, CEO of Meatless, commented:

“We are glad that Meatless can make the

next step in its corporate development with

BENEO. BENEO as a strong and experienced

global player for functional ingredients

will enable Meatless to meet the growing

demand and further accelerate expansion

of the business in new markets.” ■

Givaudan announces

development of

Customer Foresight

Aligned with its ambition to shape the

future of food, Givaudan has announced the

development of Customer Foresight, which

aims at helping customers co-create food

solutions.

Givaudan’s Customer Foresight

platform will leverage big data, artificial

intelligence (AI) technology and

Givaudan’s knowledge to co-create

food experiences with customers

and meet the needs of consumers.

The food and beverage industry is facing

profound disruption driven by rapidly

changing consumer and customer needs.

From enabling the movement to more

mindful and planet-friendly diets due

to growing environmental concerns, to

providing more nutritious food choices

and helping consumers achieve their

wellbeing goals, the industry must think

differently to address this transformative

shift. The intent of Givaudan’s Customer

Foresight is to help food and beverage

companies deliver on these unmet

needs and vast expectations.

Louie D’Amico, president of taste and

wellbeing at Givaudan, said: “Customer

Foresight can help anticipate tomorrow’s

challenges and untangle the future of

consumer expectations. Its power is

found in the combination of external

mass data and proprietary Givaudan

information, that is harnessed into

highly valuable insights through AI,

along with the in-depth knowledge of

the food ecosystem that our experts

bring to the equation. This holistic

approach, combining technologies

and human expertise, will allow

our customers to address the full

scope of future consumer needs.”

At the heart of Customer Foresight is a

digital engine that supports Givaudan’s

specialists in their consideration of the

future. By partnering with Givaudan,

customers will be able to detect signals

and emerging trends to anticipate

future potential outcome scenarios,

opening opportunities to enhance

the current development processes.

Givaudan’s Customer Foresight is

currently being piloted in two test

markets ahead of its launch in 2023. ■


6

NEWS

Tate & Lyle opens

new customer

innovation and

collaboration centre

in Chile

Tate & Lyle has announced the opening

of a new customer innovation and

collaboration centre in Santiago, Chile.

The new centre, which includes

capabilities for working in application and

rapid prototyping, will enable Tate & Lyle’s

food scientists to work with customers in

the region to address growing demand for

solutions that help reduce sugar, fat and

calories, and add fibre, in consumer

products.

Through their expertise in categories such

as beverages, dairy, bakery and soups,

sauces, and dressings, Tate & Lyle’s

professionals will support food and

beverage manufacturers deliver successful

food formulation and help them drive their

innovation agenda faster.

The investment reflects the importance

and growth potential of the Latin American

region for Tate & Lyle, and its commitment

to serve its customers in the region.

Oswaldo Nardinelli, senior vice-president

and general manager, Latin America

at Tate & Lyle, said: “Manufacturers are

increasingly looking to agile and expert

partners like Tate & Lyle to help them meet

growing consumer demand for great tasting

food and beverages that support balanced

diets and lifestyles. Tate & Lyle has been

in Chile for over 15 years and it’s a very

important market for us. The new centre

in Santiago will be part of our integrated

network of centres across Latin America,

including in Brazil and Mexico! We can’t wait

to welcome customers to our new centre.” ■

Mondi switches all glassine-based

release liners to certified base paper

Mondi has been working with a number

of certification bodies to increase the

availability of certified wood fibre in its

key wood sourcing markets in Europe.

Mondi has switched its entire portfolio of

glassine-based release liners to certified

base paper. The change is part of Mondi’s

ongoing approach to sustainability, which

includes developing solutions that are

better for the environment.

Glassine-based release liners are mainly

used for labels, tapes, and medical

applications. By moving to certified base

paper, Mondi is improving traceability,

working with partners who manage forests

responsibly in line with its commitment to

maintain zero deforestation in its forests

and supply chain. This latest move to

certified glassine-based paper is another

step in Mondi’s commitment to responsible

sourcing and supply chain transparency.

Mondi’s close collaboration with partners,

known as its EcoSolutions approach,

means that it will continue to develop

the most sustainable packaging

solutions to support customers in

achieving their sustainability goals.

All of Mondi’s pulp and paper mills

are PEFC or FSC certified, 100% of its

own forests are certified and 76% of

externally sourced wood and 100% of

sourced pulp is from certified sources.

Stefan Schönberger, head of product

sustainability release liner, Mondi, said: “As

part of our MAP2030 ambitions, we commit

to taking action on climate change, and

setting an example for others working in

international manufacturing, production and

logistics to help them make sustainability

a key priority. Offering certified base

paper is part of this. It is the first step to

upgrading our entire release liner portfolio,

which will manage our impacts while

providing the best possible solutions for

the customer and the end consumer.” ■


NEWS 7

ICL Planet startup

hub to partner

with StartLife

ICL has announced it has partnered with

startup accelerator StartLife to invest in

startups focused on new ways to address

global challenges in food and agricultural

production. These challenges range

from increasing yields and tackling food

insecurity, to cutting greenhouse gas

emissions. Both organisations are fully

geared toward accelerating the business

development and growth of early-stage

startups, and this partnership enables

them to advance in their shared mission.

ICL Planet Startup Hub serves as the

vehicle ICL uses to cultivate, nurture and

accelerate innovation in the agri-food tech

ecosystem, through open innovation and

collaboration on a global basis. Potential

targets also include novel ways to recycle

minerals, extract them from waste streams

and convert them to fertilisers or to

develop innovative functional proteins for

clean label applications, among others.

StartLife’s operations director, Laura

Thissen, said: “Through this partnership,

StartLife aims to accelerate startups’

scaling journey and, at the same time,

support ICL in finding the best startups,

which match their innovation challenges.

Our team is already identifying startups

looking to partner and to help solve a

piece of the innovation puzzle for Planet

Startup. The scope includes crop nutrition,

such as next generation fertilisers

and biostimulants, but also precision

farming and alternative proteins.”

Organisations are joining forces to develop next

generation of crop nutrition and food tech startups

Startups have much to gain from a collaboration

with ICL Planet Startup Hub, including

market access, expertise and world class

scientists, as well as the ability for sample

testing. As an on-the-ground industrial

partner, ICL can also provide agronomic or

food application feedback. ICL Planet Startup

Hub is already an active investor in several

AgriFood startups, most recently in alternative

protein companies Plantible and Protera. ■

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consumers are missing

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8

NEWS

Sweegen wins stevia

Reb M patent lawsuit

against PureCircle

Sweegen has announced its win against

PureCircle in a stevia Rebaudioside M

(Reb M) patent lawsuit.

"Today's judgement vindicates

Sweegen and affirms the company's

position as an industry leader in

innovative sweetener solutions," said

Steven Chen, CEO of Sweegen.

PureCircle, acquired by Ingredion in 2020,

had filed the 2018 lawsuit against Sweegen

in the US District Court for the Central

District of California, accusing Sweegen

of infringing two PureCircle patents

covering the manufacture of Reb M.

The legal tide turned on PureCircle when

Sweegen obtained a summary judgement

that both of PureCircle's asserted patents

are invalid. Since it is impossible to infringe

an invalid patent, the court's invalidation

of the asserted patents ends the

infringement case against Sweegen at the

US District Court.

"As a holder of core proprietary technologies

of wellness ingredients, Sweegen

vigourously guards its intellectual

property rights and respects those of

others," said Chen. "We have always

maintained that PureCircle's patents

were invalid and its case against

Sweegen spurious."

Sweegen is the primary producer of the non-

GMO Reb M originating from the stevia leaf,

made with a clean bioconversion method. ■

Isagenix launches its range of meal shakes

and food supplements in Mexico through

Blendhub’s platform

Isagenix, a specialist in the development

of nutritional products such as shakes and

food supplements, has launched its range

of meal shakes and food supplements in

Mexico through Blendhub’s platform.

Isagenix faced two major challenges as

it was looking to grow in the Mexican

market: the cost of logistics to import its

products from the US, and the need to

offer local flavours, adapted to Mexican

consumers. Isagenix chose Blendhub

to solve both challenges and develop

its first production outside the US. First,

Blendhub's multi-localised platform, with

a production hub in Mexico, localises

production and minimises the cost

of raw materials, logistics and tariffs,

thus becoming more competitive.

Secondly, Blendhub‘s food-as-a-service

strategy can help food companies launch

a new product globally in much shorter

times, identifying the best formulators

to ensure exclusive and pioneering food

products in the market, with tailor-made

solutions. In this case, Blendhub developed

a rice horchata formula for Isashake shakes.

Lizeth Bucio, marketing director of Isagenix

Mexico, highlighted: “The flavour achieved

for the horchata has been a great success.

This has allowed us to position quickly in

the Mexican market and create a feeling

of belonging among Mexican consumers.”

Eduardo Aldasoro, regional director of

Blendhub in America, stated: “This case

proves how Blendhub's innovation and

multi-localised production model enables

food companies to access new markets,

competing as a local player in a pay-per

-use model, without need for Capex

investment.”

After this launch, both companies have

expanded their collaboration and Blendhub

is already working to support Isagenix

in other markets through its network of

food-as-a-service hubs on four continents,

with the possibility of deploying a new hub

in the US to support Isagenix's innovation

strategy and growth in North America. ■


NEWS 9

Imagindairy closes its seed round with US$28 million in investment

Imagindairy has secured an additional

US$15 million in its extended seedround.

The initial round in November 2021

brought in $13 million. This brings the

total investment capital to $28 million.

The funding was led by Target Global and

joined by the company’s existing investors

Strauss Group, Emerald Technology

Ventures, Green Circle Foodtech Ventures,

Collaborative Fund, New Climate Ventures,

and FoodSparks by PeakBridge.

The Imagindairy team has created animalfree

milk proteins from microorganisms

via precision-fermentation technology.

The technology allows the production of a

broad spectrum of dairy analogues, from

raw milk to cheese, without involving

animals. Imagindairy’s dairy proteins

are non-GMO, cholesterol-free, and

possess the same flavour, texture,

functionality, and nutritional value of

their cow-based counterparts. Crucially,

they eliminate the burden that livestock

imposes on the environment.

The funds raised in this seed round will be

used for the company’s R&D efforts to launch

a range of real dairy products without using

animals. It also will help attract additional

talent to its team. Imagindairy is currently

Food in dialogue & Beverage with major dairy Asia, food 132 producers x 205 mm, nutrition,” Linie comp. said Shmuel M, Chafets, CC-en91-AZ078 executive 04/22

seeking to diversify their product portfolios.

“We are excited to be able to back the

Imagindairy team who have made incredible

inroads in creating dairy products that don't

rely on industrialised animal agriculture but

offer the same level of functionality and

chairman and founder at Target Global. ■

ProPak Asia 2022

Bangkok, 15-18 June

Hall 99, Stand AK11

Imagindairy’s platform enables costeffective

production of animal-free

milk proteins. This overcomes one of

the many hurdles in alt-dairy protein

production, allowing brands to sell

analogue dairy products at consumerfriendly

prices — a major requirement

for mass-market adoption.

The future starts

in our heads

Discover our line innovations

at krones.com

10

NEWS

APPMA announces AUSPACK transition to APPEX

The Australian Packaging and

Processing Machinery Association

(APPMA), has announced that its

flagship exhibition AUSPACK is

transitioning into an all-of-industry

event: APPEX – Australasian

Processing & Packaging Expo.

Mark Dingley, chairman of APPMA,

revealed the news at the APPMA

Awards of Excellence gala dinner

when winners of the national

awards programme for Australia’s

packaging and processing industry

were announced. APPMA has run its

flagship event, AUSPACK, since 1985.

INDUSTRY SUPPORT

Dingley said in representing Australia’s

leading packaging and processing

machinery and allied component

companies, the APPMA aims to

promote, integrate, and foster

participation and development

at all levels of the packaging and

processing machinery industry.

He added that the development of

APPEX had strong industry support.

Tania Carey, general manager of Food

Processing Equipment Australia &

New Zealand, said: “We had

never thought joining APPMA

until we learned about these

changes. This is a great change

for the industry in Australia and

one we believe will set future

expos on an exciting new path.”

Dingley said: “These two

comments are among many from

APPMA research into developing

APPEX, and with all of this broad

industry momentum, now is the

time to transition AUSPACK into

the all-of-industry event APPEX.”

CHANGES AND BENEFITS

The transition to APPEX will

occur after the current AUSPACK

is completed, with APPEX

running in March 2024, and every

three years thereafter. The event

will be anchored in Melbourne.

“Three yearly is an optimal

cycle for a large show with

more exhibitors and visitors,

it is a neater flow with other

international shows and

facilitates better alignment with

developments in new technology.

APPMA chose Melbourne for its

position as Australia’s premier

venue for holding larger shows,

with facilities allowing APPEX

and Processing & Packaging

Week to grow while still retaining

AUSPACK’s renowned experience.

Operationally, the Melbourne

Convention and Exhibition Centre

site facilitates easier move-in

and move-out for exhibitors.”

The benefits of APPEX include

having the largest showcase

of processing and packaging

equipment, thus attracting

more targeted visitors across

all of industry, noted Dingley.

“APPEX being run by the industry

means that exhibitors, APPMA

members and key players will all

have a strong voice in the show’s

development. APPMA will continue

to reinvest the exhibition’s profits

to further support and develop

the processing and packaging

industry, Australia wide, and with

more on offer for visitors, the

Australian marketplace overall

will benefit,” he added. ■


NEWS 11

Westfalia recognised for carbon neutality

Westfalia Fruit Group has achieved the One

Carbon World Carbon Neutral International

Standard for 15 of its businesses for 2020.

As part of this project, Westfalia Fruit

calculated its footprint for 2020 with the

support of One Carbon World. Westfalia Fruit

in Peru, Westfalia Colombia, Westfalia Fruit

Marketing in South Africa and Westfalia

Fruit in the Netherlands have also achieved

carbon neutrality status for their Scope

1 and 2 emissions as well as certification

under the One Carbon World Carbon

Neutral International Standard, a carbon

footprint verification organisation and a

recognised resource partner in the United

Nations’ Climate Neutral Now initiative.

In 2021, Westfalia Fruit made significant

progress towards its sustainability targets:

reducing the company’s carbon footprint

per kilogram of fruit by 5%, waste to

landfill by almost 9%, liquid fuel used by

26% and electricity usage by 4%. At the

same time, it increased recycled waste

by 28%, water use efficiency by 14% and

own electricity generation by 50%.

For example, the company has pioneered a

low-flow drip irrigation technique that saves

the volume of the water used to grow the crop,

while increasing the output and economic

value of the fruit. It is estimated that the

approach will bring an overall 50% efficiency

boost in farms where it is implemented.

For Westfalia Fruit’s GHG emissions that

cannot currently be avoided, the company

compensated with emissions reductions

certified by VERRA, through afforestation

projects in South America that are converting

degraded grasslands into forest plantations.

Westfalia Fruit UK also achieved a carbon

neutral certification under Carbon Trust,

an independent certification body for

carbon footprints with an internationally

recognised carbon neutral standard. ■

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12

MARKET INSIGHTS

Creating

sustainable value

in food

Food sustainability is not as simple as generating the

greenest outcome for the planet. As David Hughes,

CEO of Plant & Food Research, shares with Agatha Wong,

creating value-centric products for the consumer and

the planet might be the best approach to greater

food resilience.

The issue of a sustainable food

system is not a question of if, but

when. As climate change, a global

pandemic, rising costs, and population

growth propel food producers to

tighter corners, much has to be done

to ensure that the global food system

is secure for the coming years. In

Asia especially, which produces

most of the world’s food supply,

food sustainability has become a hot

topic in both the public and private

sectors. Singapore, for example,

launched the “30 by 30” initiative.

The goal is to fortify the country’s

agri-food industry’s capabilities and

to produce 30% of their nutritional

needs locally and sustainably by 2030.

David Hughes, CEO of Plant & Food

Research, told Food & Beverage

Asia: “Food security questions have

started to move from a national level

to a city-specific level, with cities

wanting to ensure that a portion

of their food comes from their

immediate surroundings. Given that

some super cities are bigger than

small countries, it is not surprising

that city leaders are increasingly

focusing on food security. It makes

sense to address food security at

a national, regional and city level.”

For Singapore, a land- and resourcescarce

country with a dense

urban population, the challenge

of achieving food resilience is a

particularly sticky one — though

not necessarily impossible. Already,

technology such as vertical

farming and hydroponics have

proven to be advantageous for

the island state, and as agri-tech

start-ups take root, innovations in

local agriculture are expected.

“Globally, people are already

following a successful pathway to

produce leafy greens and herbs

using controlled environment

agriculture (CEA). Additionally, urban

areas like rooftops are increasingly

being utilised for agriculture,

providing value in a range of ways.

Not only does this utilise urban

spaces and provide fresh produce

next door, but it is also positive for

the city because it creates green

spaces,” he continued. “Aside from

the horticultural space, there is also

potential for cellular agriculture. In

future, with new growth serums, it

may be possible to produce meat

and fish entirely in urban areas.”

In Hughes’ perspective, the key to

changing these current challenges

to potential areas of strength lies

in focusing on value creation,

rather than achieving low cost. He

emphasised the cultural and social

value that food plays in society,

specifically Singapore being a food

city. In this regard, the challenges

that Singapore faces are presented

as opportunities, where producers

can consider moving back to the

production end of the food chain

to generate more value. Value, he

explained, in the form of “positive

foods” are good for the people

and the planet, in areas of health,

wellness, and the environment.


MARKET INSIGHTS 13

“Singapore is blessed with agri-tech,

a strong population and citizens

who appreciate the value of food —

an ideal scenario for capturing this

opportunity. It would be much harder

to succeed in a cost-conscious,

unsophisticated food market that

demands the cheapest, barestminimum

products. Additionally,

Singapore has already demonstrated

a strong ability to create start-ups,

fund them and see them go global,

which means that it is in a good

position to be world-leading with

this kind of agri-tech and to export

these innovations to other places.”

STRENGTH IN TEAMWORK

Another aspect of Singapore’s plans

to establish a more resilient food

system can be found in collaboration.

On 20 Apr 2022, Singapore and New

Zealand signed two agreements

to enhance food and technology

innovations between the two

countries — the first being the

Enhanced Partnership for

Growth Arrangement

between Enterprise

Singapore and

New Zealand Trade

and Enterprise,

and the second

a collaboration

agreement between

the Singapore

Institute of

Technology and

The FoodBowl, a

food innovation

network

supported by

the New Zealand

government.

These

partnerships

and agreements

highlight the importance of continued

collaboration between countries to

promote sustainable food systems

and the commitment towards food

resilience on a regional level.

Where Singapore’s core strength has

been the culinary dimension in food,

New Zealand has been traditionally

in the production of food, explained

Hughes. This makes the two countries’

ideals partners with complementary

skills that generate further value.

“My organisation has been strong

in perennial tree crops. There’s an

opportunity, I think, to bring those

to vertical farming in urban farming

environments. We don’t need to do

that in New Zealand because we’ve

got large quantities of land available

to us, but through our working on

those crops, we’ve developed quite a

deep understanding of them — what

makes them grow well, and how

you could adapt them to different


14

MARKET INSIGHTS

environments. That’s the sort of

crop we could collaborate with

Singapore on. On the other hand,

Singapore works on leafy greens

and herbs, and I think, again, there’s

another collaboration point — where

we’ve worked on different things,

we can join our skills together

to create quite exciting new

opportunities,” remarked Hughes.

“The signing of these agreements

is a good exemplar of the sort of

things countries can do. Because,

again, we’re showing that we can

work together, we recognise that we

have complementary capabilities

that mesh well together. And I

think the timing of this is perfect

because with COVID-19, we have

been denied a lot of opportunities to

increase the level of collaboration,

and what we do with each other. As

the country starts moving through

COVID-19 and what the future

holds, we need to start connecting

even more, and to be building

on the skills that we have got,

strengthening those relationships.”

SMALL BUT VALUABLE

Moving away from national and

bilateral collaborations, to a regional

level, the need for sustainable

food systems is also clear. Forming

the backbone of the agricultural

landscape in Asia are smallholder

farmers to whom agri-tech startups

can reach out. Hence, Hughes

suggested that it is important

for smallholders to not be drawn

into the low-cost trap and to

create value for consumers by

understanding what consumers

in their region care about and

are willing to pay for their food.

“Smallholder farmers are perfectly

placed to deliver that value as

they are close to the food they

produce. We have seen this

with Plant & Food Research’s

international development work

where farmers have moved away

from rice production that goes

into a large pool of rice with none of

the farmer’s identity attached to it.

Instead, smallholder or subsistence

farmers have moved into higher

value crops delivered to a nearby

city. With careful attention to food

safety and good agricultural practice,

farmers can increase the value of

these crops and the supermarket

can stock them with pride. We have

seen smallholder incomes increase

dramatically just through ensuring

that farmers grow the right stuff in the

right way and that this is connected

to what the end users value.”

As producers and farmers concentrate

more on creating value as opposed

to keeping costs low, he added that

consumers will be able to appreciate

the benefits of the food they consume,

thus encouraging them to spend

more on a product. At the same time,

focusing on value-centric products

also emphasises greater care for the

planet and the people, leading to

better outcomes for the environment.

“It comes down to adopting a value

creation mindset instead of a cost

reduction mindset, which often

delivers bad health and environmental

outcomes. It is important to identify

what people value and provide

that, rather than just focusing on

cost,” concluded Hughes. FBA


BITING ISSUES 15

Symrise announces

range of aronia

health actives with

cellular antioxidant

effects

Symrise has launched a new range of

aronia health actives. The range contains

an aronia extract and aronia juice powder,

both standardised in polyphenols and

anthocyanins. This range expands the

diana food portfolio of health actives,

which forms a part of the taste, nutrition

and health segment.

Aronia (Aronia melanocarpa), also known as

black chokeberry, contains a concentration

of antioxidants such as polyphenols,

particularly anthocyanins. Plants produce

the antioxidants to protect themselves

from environmental stress. The

antioxidative properties of aronia relates

to cardiovascular health, metabolic health,

and immune system support. Symrise

has demonstrated the specific cellular

antioxidative properties of the aronia

extract on different cell types, including

intestinal cells, using a cellular model.

Under the diana food portfolio brand

of health actives, the aronia extract

comes with a polyphenols profile: total

polyphenolic content, proanthocyanins

content, and a specific proanthocyanidinsto-anthocyanins

ratio. The carrier-free,

free-flowing aronia extract in powder

form features a minimum of both 50%

total polyphenols and 10% anthocyanins.

Suggested applications include capsules,

tablets, powder sticks, nutritional shots,

and supplement gummies. The spraydried,

soluble aronia juice powder features

a minimum of both 2% total polyphenols

and 0.2% anthocyanins. Applications for

the juice powder include powder drinks,

healthy beverages, snacks, and foods. ■

Plant-based chicken

brand Haofood

partners with

convenience store

chain Lawson

alternative meat products,” shared Astrid

Prajogo, founder and CEO of Haofood.

While there is a growing appetite for

sustainable alternatives to meat, customers

in China demand great-tasting products.

Haofood thus delivers its Innotein technology,

a plant-based chicken with texture similar to

real meat, and a stronger umami sensation.

Plant-based chicken brand Haofood has

announced a new partnership with Chinese

convenience store Lawson where customers

will gain greater access to its products.

Haofood’s new satay nugget on a stick will

retail at 2,300 Lawson stores in China.

“At Haofood, our goal is to make plantbased

chicken products accessible to

people. We set our focus on China, the

world’s most populous country for a

start, as we believe that there can be a

significant impact on carbon footprint

reduction as customers here turn towards

An IPSOS study published in 2020 indicated

that 95% of consumers in China have heard

of plant-based meat products, with 61% of

the opinion that consumption of plant-based

meat products will be beneficial to their health,

and 41% of the opinion that it reduces carbon

footprint. At the same time, stresses from

modern everyday life, including being in fastpaced

work environments, have contributed

to an uptake in convenient ready-to-eat

products among younger consumers globally.

With these consumption habits taking

prevalence, Haofood created the new satay

Haofood’s all-new satay nugget on a stick

nugget on a stick for Chinese consumers

who are looking for convenience and

particular when it comes to the taste and

nutritional benefits. For the satay nugget,

Haofood adopted the use of soybeans,

coupled with Haofood’s Innotein technology.

The satay nugget on a stick is high in protein

and fibre with zero trans-fat, making an

ideal choice for a busy work day or even a

summer picnic with friends and family. ■


16

BITING ISSUES

Mintel’s 2022 Global

Food and Drink Trends

explores changing

consumer behavior

Mintel’s 2022 Global Consumer Trends

explores pandemic-induced

behavioural changes, with insight and

recommendations for food, drink and

foodservice brands on how to incorporate

the trends into future strategy.

Three key trends offer potential for food,

drink and foodservice brands: In Control,

Enjoyment Everywhere and Flexible

Spaces.

IN CONTROL

In Control explores how consumers

are dealing with pandemic-induced

uncertainty and the desire to take control

in the ways available to them. Brands can

empower consumers to do this within

their food or drink purchases through

transparent detail on their products.

Tan Heng Hong, food and drink analyst,

Asia-Pacific, Mintel, said: “More than half

of consumers in the Philippines (61%),

Thailand (56%) and Vietnam (64%) say

that they check product labels when

shopping for food or drink. Food and

drink brands have the complex task of

conveying clear and reliable guidance so

that a product will meet consumers’

health priorities. They can empower

consumers to make the right health

choice by giving clear on pack detail

linked to dietary requirements.”

In addition to well-being, Mintel

Global Consumer research shows

that consumers in Indonesia (83%),

Malaysia (65%) and Singapore (66%)

agree that brands should show their

impact on the environment on food

or drink labels.

ENJOYMENT EVERYWHERE

Enjoyment Everywhere explores how

consumers will have a newfound

appreciation for fun in everyday items

and activities after long lockdowns.

Food and drink brands are wellpositioned

to offer experiences

that cannot be replicated online.

“Consumers will be open to food, drink

and foodservice that engages more

of the senses to trigger emotional

connections. Food and drink that

captivate the senses can appeal to

the unexpected and the intriguing. At

the same time, the metaverse offers

a new arena for brands to engage

with consumers. Brands can join the

gaming trend and ‘game-ify’ everyday

activities like cooking in the digital

realm where consumers can connect

or bond with another,” continued Tan.

FLEXIBLE SPACES

The pandemic left consumers craving

for human connection, which, at

the same time, delivers them the

convenience of online shopping. Flexible

Spaces explores how consumers

have been forced to rethink their work

and play spaces due to changing

consumer lifestyles, where blending

physical and online spaces will be

key in creating spaces for brands to

interact with consumers going forward.

“We will see retailers redefining their

approaches to space and selling to

accommodate a more diverse consumer

base, facilitate deeper consumer-tobrand

connections and unite those

that share common passions in both

physical and online environments. As

technology becomes more advanced,

these blended worlds will coexist

more seamlessly,” concluded Tan. ■


BITING ISSUES 17

DSM and the World Food Programme

partner to improve global nutrition

Royal DSM and the World Food Programme

(WFP) have agreed to extend their

partnership and scale up rice fortification

worldwide for a further three years. The

partnership will seek to improve the

availability and accessibility of nutritious

foods in order to reach vulnerable people

where key dietary decisions are made.

DSM and the WFP began working together

in 2007 with the mission of "Improving

nutrition, improving lives" currently reaching

35 million people annually with nutritious

products improved through the partnership.

During 15 years of collaboration, the two

organisations have helped fight nutritional

deficiencies affecting two billion people

around the world. DSM offers the WFP

its technical and scientific assistance in

nutrition, quality assurance and marketing,

as well as its financial assistance, to improve

the availability and affordability of fortified,

nutritious foods for people in need.

In Bangladesh, for example, the partnership

has supported more than 70 SMEs in building

their capacity to produce fortified rice, which

includes vitamins and minerals that curb

micronutrient deficiencies. This initiative

has benefitted local food producers and

processors and allowed more than seven

million people in the country access to

fortified rice through social safety nets.

In addition, DSM and the WFP are

working together to drive food systems’

transformation, supporting local

food companies and value chains in

developing countries to deliver more

affordable fortified nutritious food options

to people in their communities.

In 2021, DSM launched food systems

commitments, which include a target to help

close the micronutrient gap of 800 million

people by 2030. The DSM-WFP partnership

will play a vital role in contributing to

this aim by strengthening sustainable

food systems and improving resilience

by increasing access to, demand for, and

consumption of more nutritious foods,

particularly among the most vulnerable. ■

Jebsen & Jessen

Ingredients and

Nactarome bringing

natural colour

for a variety of applications in the food

and beverage industry. Due to the

continued success of our European

operation, Nactarome has decided

to work exclusively with Jebsen &

Jessen to expand our reach in selected

geographies in the Asia-Pacific.”

Jebsen & Jessen Ingredients (JJING)

and Nactarome have announced a

new partnership agreement that will

see JJING become the distributor for

Nactarome’s food and beverage colouring

solutions in South East Asia and China.

JJING promotes and distributes

chemical and life sciences ingredients for

multiple industries and manufacturing

applications, including food ingredients,

with a presence in eight ASEAN countries

and China. The Nactarome group

focuses on providing a portfolio of allin-one

natural flavourings, extracts,

colourings and functional ingredients for

the global food and beverage industry.

The new partnership will see JJING leverage

its network in South East Asia and China to

distribute Nactarome’s range of colouring

solutions, under the brand FiorioColori. These

clean label colouring products will now be

available in the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand,

Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia and China.

Geoff Allen, managing director, Asia-Pacific,

Nactarome, commented: “The FioriColori

brand has a successful history of providing

cost-effective and stable colouring solutions

“With our strong track record and

extensive network in South East Asia

and China, we look forward to bringing

Nactarome’s high-quality solutions to the

industry.” said Ratana Vongmukdaporn,

regional business line head for food

and pharmaceutical and personal care

at Jebsen & Jessen Ingredients.

The range of natural colours from

FioriColori’s natural and clean label ranges

will allow JJING to provide customers

with a wide range of ingredient choices

for their product developments, and

meet the growing consumer demand for

clean label and authentic ingredients. ■


18

BITING ISSUES

Above Food opens ingredient

development and processing centre

Above Food, a plant-based food company,

has announced the opening of its gluten

free ingredient development, processing

and packaging facility: the Above Food

Ingredient Centre.

The centre, located in Saskatoon,

Saskatchewan is a new component of

Above Food’s seed to fork delivery model.

It will serve as the centre of the company's

future product innovations and gluten free

ingredient processing. It aims to enhance

Above Food’s specialty ingredients division

within the CPG industry, while further

differentiating the company’s CPG brands.

The centre features advanced technologies

for cleaning, sorting, polishing, blending,

and formulating. These technologies

allow for the development, processing

and packaging of flours, fibres, starches,

flakes and texturised ingredients to be

used by customers across the food value

chain, including Above’s private label

and branded CPG products.

Other notable features of the new centre

include high-capacity bulk handling of

over 100-million pounds annually; and

packaging capabilities for ingredient

and CPG customers.

“Our centre is world-class, representing

what we at Above Food envision as the

future of food," said Mike Marshall,

president of Above Food specialty

ingredients. “It bolsters our specialty

ingredients capabilities and enables us

to help customers accelerate ingredient

innovation. This is a significant growth

opportunity for Above Food to expand our

customer reach and bring more value to all

crops in regenerative agriculture rotations.”

Lionel Kambeitz, CEO of Above Food,

added: “The Above Food Ingredient

Centre allows us to meet the needs of our

growing customer base, while remaining

true to our vertically integrated platform.

Our specialty ingredients division is

immediately bolstered by the opening of

the centre, allowing us to handle products,

ingredients and packaging of all sizes.” ■

Blommer Chocolate Company and

DouxMatok expand partnership with new

chocolate and confectionery coatings

to demonstrate that it is possible to

achieve over 40% sugar reduction in

some of the beloved snack and bakery

applications such as nut butter cups,

bars and chocolate chip cookies.

Blommer Chocolate Company and

DouxMatok have announced the launch

of additional chocolate and confectionery

products. Earlier this year, Blommer

launched the Discovery product line,

supported by DouxMatok’s sugar-based

sugar reduction solution, Incredo Sugar.

The first products were chocolate-flavoured

chips, and they have expanded the product

line to include additional coatings to

support utilisation in a broader range of

food applications, including but not limited

to panning, enrobing, and moulding.

Providing sugar-reduced chocolate

that delivers on taste, sweetness and

nutrition has been a long-standing

industry challenge, particularly while

fulfilling increased consumer interest

in short and understandable ingredient

lists. With this new line of milk, dark and

white coatings, Blommer has delivered

up to 50% sugar reduction without using

any high intensity sweeteners or sugar

alcohols. The team of chocolate scientists

at Blommer have designed various concepts

“Global research continues to indicate

that taste is the first consideration when

consumers make food choices, but

they have historically shied away from

chocolate products with less added

sugar due to negative taste perception,”

said David Meggs, COO at Blommer

Chocolate Company. “We have tremendous

opportunity at our fingertips to bring

consumers back to this category who have

avoided sugar-reduced products because

they simply didn’t taste good enough.”

“We’re thrilled about the new opportunities

that the expanded Discovery product line

will open up for food brands,” said Kelly

Thompson, senior vice-president and

head of North America at DouxMatok.

“Chocolate-covered snacks are beloved

by consumers, and they shouldn’t have

to compromise on taste or nutrition when

they reach for their favourite treats.” ■


BITING ISSUES 19

Chr. Hansen launches new VEGA Boost

cultures for development of dairy-free

cream cheese

Chr. Hansen has developed a range of VEGA

Boost cultures as the newest addition to

the VEGA Culture Kit. The dairy-free fava

bean cream cheese offers taste, good

nutrition, sustainability and affordability, in

a formulation which can be allergen-free.

Development of the cream cheese was

performed using expertise and ingredients

from Ingredion, AAK, and Givaudan,

who have been working together with

Chr. Hansen on new plant-based dairyalternative

concepts at MISTA, a Californiabased

future-food innovation ecosystem.

Fava bean proved to have the right sensory,

affordability and physical properties to

create a great product with the functional

and nutritional properties needed in a

spreadable vegan cream cheese.

Christian Gilleladen, principal application

scientist at Chr. Hansen, said: “Producers see

the relatively low cost and simple recipe and

production process as an added benefit.”

The fermented fava bean cream cheese

alternative can modified using flavours

or spices that meet regional preferences

for taste, texture and appearance.

Key to the creation of this product was

the development of VEGA Boost, the new

Chr. Hansen adjunct cultures that offer

increased flexibility in fast fermentation

and provide an enhanced flavour experience.

The new bacterial strains in VEGA Boost offer

customers an opportunity to change the

fermentation process for specific product

needs. Key benefits of using VEGA Boost

include improved fermentation performance

and more complex flavours — delivering flavour

differentiation in plant-based dairy alternatives.

VEGA customers receive support from

Chr. Hansen’s team of plant-based

fermentation specialists and application

laboratories, beginning during the ideation

phase and continuing through postlaunch

troubleshooting. Chr. Hansen also

invests in consumer and market research

to ensure alignment between consumer

needs and the features that VEGA cultures

bring to plant-based products. ■

Superbrewed Food's

postbiotic cultured

protein receives selfaffirmed

GRAS status

Superbrewed Food has announced that

its proprietary postbiotic cultured protein

has achieved self-affirmed GRAS

(“generally recognised as safe”) status.

In accordance with the US Food and

Drug Administration requirements, an

independent panel of experts reviewed

Superbrewed Food's safety dossier on its

postbiotic cultured protein ingredient. The

panel agreed that the data demonstrates

safety for consumption in a broad range of

food applications, and that the ingredient

poses limited risk as a food allergen.

Superbrewed Food's postbiotic cultured

protein is an anaerobically fermented

whole food protein made from microflora

found in nature that convert plant starches

into a nutrient rich protein ingredient. The

ingredient is more than 80% protein by weight,

among the highest protein concentration in a

single microbe ever reported. It is high quality

protein as it contains all nine essential amino

acids and more branched-chain and essential

amino acids than plant-based proteins. It is a

“whole food” because it is minimally processed

to retain its natural nutrition beyond protein.

For example, a 30g serving meets the FDA

requirements for being a “good source” of five

B-vitamins, including a full day's supply of B-12,

and a “good source” of six essential minerals,

such as iron, phosphorus and magnesium.

"This is a major milestone in our mission to bring

many highly nutritious, versatile microbiomebased

ingredients to market," said Bryan Tracy,

the CEO and co-founder of Superbrewed

Food. "Our protein ingredient performs well

in products ranging from alternative dairy to

baked goods, due to its neutral taste, natural

white colour, excellent pH and temperature

stability, and good emulsification properties.

Also, our production process is low-cost

and highly scalable, which renders it as

an affordable ingredient for companies to

incorporate in a wide range of products." ■


20

BITING ISSUES

Affron saffron holds

first patent for mood

support in the US

is based solely on water, resulting in an

ingredient clean of any solvents or alcohols.

Affron has also received four international

awards, including the NutraIngredients Europe

Award 2022, where affron was declared the

ingredient of the year for healthy ageing.

Affron, a Pharmactive Biotech Products

saffron ingredient, has held its US granted

patent for low mood support. This patent

serves as official recognition of the

company’s process in the formulation of

affron and its ability to assist individuals

with low mood related issues. The efficacy

and quality standards of affron has been

recognised as a scientifically backed

saffron ingredient with the support of

eight published human clinical studies

including more than 740 participants.

The trials demonstrated affron’s positive

effect on multiple aspects of mental wellbeing

and sleep quality, in different target

populations, including menopausal women,

adults. For a commercial extract of saffron,

it showed its ability to elevate adolescents’

moods.

Affron is also the first in its extraction

process from saffron stigmas called AFF

ON Cool-Tech. This process optimises the

preservation and concentration of the key

active ingredients without chemicals and

with minimal industrial processing and energy

use. Furthermore, this extraction technique

The affron patent protects the composition

and dosages of affron that makes it effective

as a natural mood-support agent. Its

recommended daily dose is the lowest in

the market at 28mg and is standardised to

Lepticrosalides, a proprietary and unique pool

of bioactives responsible for affron’s activity,

crimson colour, and prized organoleptic

qualities. This is verified by means of HPLC

(high-performance liquid chromatography).

“This innovation activity recognition has greatly

supported the sustained growth of our topnotch

saffron ingredient in the US, in mental

wellness category,” said Marguerite Gerritsen,

managing director for Pharmactive. ■

Plantwise launches

formulas to support

human health

Plantwise, a newly-launched company, has

crafted targeted formulas to promote restful

sleep, pain relief support, increased focus,

and more, for human health. Plantwise

products support the endocannabinoid

system. This regulatory system is

supplemented with phytocannabinoids from

plants, along with other botanical nutrients.

exceptional performance, keep consumers

feeling great, and thoughtfully support

different areas of happy human health.

Plantwise Probiotics and Postbiotics provides

gut, brain and immune system support with

acid-resistant capsule that protect good

bacteria, including 12 DNA-verified probiotic

strains that supply good bacteria to support

gut, brain and immune system function. It

also includes two heat-treated postbiotic

strains with components for gut and immune

health activity. And lastly, prebiotic acacia

fibre helps support and feed the probiotic

bacteria, helping them do their job.

asleep quicker and stay asleep longer for

a restorative night's rest.

Plantwise Immune Prime supplements

modulate the immune system, supporting

balance and readiness for when the immune

system is needed, both immediately and over

the long-term.

Plantwise incorporates organic, regeneratively

farmed hemp into its dual-capsule formulas. ■

In order to deliver targeted, effective results,

Plantwise has taken particular care in the

choice and amount of each ingredient

in its formulas. Its formulas label each

standardised ingredient clearly, showing

what is provided inside each serving.

This year, Plantwise will introduce five

initial products designed to promote

Plantwise Mind Spark enhances energy,

increase focus and enhance performance

to support the mind when it needs to

be at its sharpest.

Plantwise Relax and Rest provides support

for those who experience occasional

sleeplessness. It helps to reduce stress, calm

the mind and enable consumers to fall


BITING ISSUES 21

MISTA invites

Sempera Organics

as newest member,

adding functional

fungi to its food

innovation platform

Mushroom ingredient supplier Sempera

Organics has joined MISTA, the food

innovation platform. MISTA helps its

member businesses innovate by providing

access to experts from nearly every

discipline in the food system as well as

commercial kitchens and development

labs to facilitate new food advances.

From tea, to flour, to meat substitutes,

mushrooms have a plethora of uses

in food that have grown increasingly

popular. Sempera Organics looks forward

to discovering and refining the next uses

for mushrooms with its MISTA partners.

“Demand for functional mushrooms is

growing as more people learn about their

health benefits, and we are grateful that

MISTA has given us the opportunity to

develop new methods of using them in food,”

said Nirmal Nair, CEO of Sempera Organics,

Scott May, founder and head of MISTA, said:

“Mushroom and mycelium solutions will be

critical in delivering on the consumer promise

of taste, nutrition, clean label and cost.”

As demand for functional mushrooms

increases and they continue being used in

food products and nutraceuticals, Sempera

Organics serves as the supplier meeting

this need. Cultivating mushroom varieties

such as lion's mane, cordyceps, reishi,

chaga, turkey tail, shitake, maitake, almond

mushroom, agarikon, and king oyster in its

own lab, Sempera Organics' growing methods

maximises these varietals' growth, produce

the most nutrient-dense mushrooms, and

accelerate production time for products.

Additionally, Sempera brings companies

these ingredients on a reduced supply

chain, assuring faster and more reliable

delivery than other ingredient suppliers.

The development labs and commercial

kitchens at the MISTA Innovation Centre in

San Francisco provide a space for Sempera

Organics and other member business to

innovate and quickly develop new products. ■

Do Good Foods launches carbon-reduced

chicken to tackle food waste

Do Good Foods, has launched Do Good

Chicken, a simple, tasty option that tackles

food waste and combat climate change.

The product will be launched across grocers

in Philadelphia.

Each year, about 40% of healthy grocery

food gets tossed into landfills. According

to the United Nation Food and Agriculture

Organization, if food waste were its own

country, it would be the third largest emitter

of greenhouse gases in the world. To help

keep this healthy food from going to waste,

Do Good Foods has partnered with grocers

for a smart, impactful solution to protect

the planet.

After community donations, Do Good Foods

takes healthy surplus food from grocery

stores and upcycles it into nutrient-dense

chicken feed that mimics a chicken's

natural diet. The high quality, carbonreduced

chicken is then made available

for purchase at those same markets,

closing the loop and helping combat

food waste. Each delicious Do Good

Chicken saves approximately four pounds

of surplus groceries from being thrown

away, thus preventing approximately

three pounds of greenhouse gases.

Do Good Foods has teamed up with

Philadelphia native, chef and founder

of Carroll Couture Cuisine and Spice

Finch, Jennifer Carroll, to provide home

cooks with an easy, climate-friendly

recipe using delicious Do Good Chicken,

spices, herbs and fresh vegetables.

"Good food should be eaten, not wasted,"

said Jennifer Carroll. "As a chef, restauranter

and someone who just wants to do better

for the environment, it is so exciting to

partner with a brand that is on a mission

to help everyone — from home cooks

to professional chefs — create smarter

meals that make a real impact." ■


22

BITING ISSUES

Barry Callebaut establishes Farm of the Future

to promote cocoa farming research

and innovation

With a deep knowledge of

agricultural production, Ecuador

is the world’s third-largest cocoa

producer and one of the fastestgrowing

cocoa origins, as well as

the largest global producer of fine

flavour cocoa. Combined with Barry

Callebaut’s knowledge in innovation

and sustainability, Ecuador was

an ideal location for the company

to build a hub for cocoa farming

research, supporting cocoa farming

resilience and productivity.

“Our Farm of the Future aims to

be a contributor to the global

movement on food system

innovation. The establishment

of this hub is a valuable vehicle

for providing new opportunities

for sustainable cocoa farming,

innovation, and research,” said

Pablo Perversi, chief innovation,

sustainability and quality officer,

global head of gourmet.

The 640-hectare property is located

in the Cerecita Valley in Ecuador.

Operations and infrastructure

development will start immediately

with the planting of cocoa seedlings

on the farm’s 400 hectares of

non-planted land. Integration

of high-yielding and maximum

flavour varieties in the planting

design will also support crosslearning

between cocoa farms of

all sizes, in different locations and

climates from around the world.

Next to cocoa bean variety,

agronomics research will also

test resilient farming techniques,

pre- and post-harvest processes,

fermentation control, diversification

of income, and improved cost

control. Ultimately, the company

aims to establish optimal cocoa

farming practices that are climatesmart

and enhance sustainability

and farm profitability. Once the

farm is fully operational, it seeks

to employ approximately 80

people from the local area.

Integration of high-yielding and

maximum flavour varieties in the

planting design will support crosslearning

between cocoa farms of

all sizes, in different locations and

climates from around the world.

“With the opening of Farm of the

Future, Barry Callebaut is further

strengthening its cocoa farming

research capabilities for the benefit

of cocoa yield, sustainability, and

quality,” commented Steven

Retzlaff, president global cocoa.

The Farm of the Future is geared

towards meeting Barry Callebaut’s

Forever Chocolate plan, which

aims to make sustainable

chocolate the norm by 2025. New

findings from their farms of the

future will further help support

the company’s research, and

will feed into their Farm Services

programme, reaching cocoa

farmers of all origins in Barry

Callebaut’s supply chain. This

supports Barry Callebaut’s goal

to secure and improve farmers’

livelihoods by increasing the value

of their cocoa through improved

quality and higher yield. ■


BITING ISSUES 23

Euromed

Arjuna Natural’s Rhuleave-K blend

demonstrated in study to relief workout pain

Results of a study has demonstrated Arjuna

Natural’s Rhuleave-K offers relief of acute

musculoskeletal pain in multiple body

parts following exercise.

Arjuna has joined two anti-inflammatory

botanicals — curcuminoids and Boswellia —

into a high-dissolution composition. The

formula is bound by a black sesame oil base,

which acts as an effective carrier and is known

for its own wellness properties. The

SPEEDTECHTM technology is applied to

ensure fast and uniform dispersal of the

actives.

The clinical study, published in the Journal

of Applied Medical Sciences (Mar 2022)

evaluated the effect of Rhuleave-K in 232

healthy individuals suffering from acute

musculoskeletal pain of the head and neck,

upper and lower limbs, trunk, and general

body following exercise. Pain intensity

was measured using a numerical rating

scale (NRS) in which zero represents no

pain and 10 represents the worst pain

possible. Only participants with a screening

score of five or greater were enrolled.

Moreover, pain levels were assessed at

rest, on the movement of the affected

part, and on the application of pressure.

The study was conducted in India across

six different regional sites. Participants

were given 1,000mg of Rhuleave-K

in two softgels, or a placebo.

While the placebo group experienced

no significant decrease in any of the five

location categories of pain, the Rhuleave-K

group reported fast pain recovery. Pain

alleviation could be felt as early as 40

minutes following supplementation, with

complete pain relief achieved by as early

as 160 minutes. Subjects in the head and

neck category experienced the fastest

relief. The maximum length of time reported

for reaching meaningful total pain relief

was 216 minutes, predominantly among

those subjects suffering from pain in

the trunk, specifically the chest, pelvis,

abdomen, and back. Rhuleave-K also

elicited improved range of movement. ■


24

INGREDIENTS

Baked goods: The push for

clean label, natural ingredients

Consumers are turning to bakery products with no artificial

ingredients as they seek out foods that are wholesome and

natural and that support their healthy lifestyle.

By Clarissa Neo, regional business development manager, AH&N, Kerry Asia Pacific,

Middle East & Africa

Kerry’s 2021 Sustainability in Motion

study covering Asia-Pacific, Middle

East and Africa (APMEA) revealed that

consumers’ key sustainability concerns

are around health and nutrition,

environment preservation and food

production practices, with food waste

emerging slightly higher in baked

goods — 54% are concerned about

food waste in baked goods compared

to 52% in meat. It also revealed that “no

artificial ingredients” is an expectation

— more so in meat, snacks, meals,

and baked goods, although 20% are

interested in longer shelf-life products.

This has impacted bakers and,

consequently, the ingredients market

because the needs of consumers

present conflicting challenges in

production. Taking heed of consumer

sentiment for natural ingredients, some

supermarkets and restaurant chains

are creating no-no lists, eliminating

many conventional preservation

options. The industry has had to

reformulate to protect the quality

of its products in the supply chain,

right through to consumers’ homes.

While there is interest in products

with longer shelf lives, 84% of APMEA

consumers are starting to focus on

food waste reduction. Sustainability

and food waste are a hot topic in

the bakery goods market because

baked goods like bread are the

highest volume category of

prepared food waste (excluding

fresh produce) globally. Food waste

across all points of the supply chain

is ranked highly among consumer

concerns. This means there is a

huge opportunity to reduce these

volumes and extend the reach

of resources that go into the

bakery goods industry, creating

opportunities to feed more people

instead of creating food waste.

Food safety is less of an issue in the

bakery industry as bread most often

becomes mouldy or stale, both of

which are quality issues rather than

safety issues. While contamination

is possible, it is a less frequent issue

than in other product categories.

SUSTAINABLE PRESERVATION

SOLUTIONS THAT DELIVER ON

TASTE

Within the bakery category, the

APMEA sustainability research

also revealed that 36% of APMEA

consumers are concerned about

addressing sustainability through

no artificial ingredients and clean

labels. Clean label is a high-value

market segment which is why it

has received so much focus over

the last 20 years, and it resonates

with 81% of APMEA consumers’

desire to learn more about better

nutrition and healthier food

options. Therefore, clean label

preservation technologies are

helping to meet the demand

for familiar ingredients without

compromising on shelf life or

creating food waste. Without

them, consumers would

find themselves with a

lot of mouldy bread and

have to modify their

shopping patterns.

Yet, premium, allnatural

only products

are largely not reflected

in sales. Conventional

preservative ingredients are

still the solution behind most

food volumes sold today.

Despite this, the most popular

clean label preservation solution

globally for bread is based on

fermented wheat, which is very


INGREDIENTS 25

consumer-friendly

and does a great

job of protecting

bread quality. It

does come at a

premium over

conventional

commodity

ingredients,

but consumers

seeking no

artificial ingredients

are showing a

willingness to buy more

premium bread to satisfy

this need. In APMEA, 81% of

consumers surveyed believe

that while sustainable products

may be expensive right now,

there will be greater savings for

the region in the long term.

What this means is that the food

industry has had to pivot to ensure

the authenticity of clean label

ingredients supplied. Ingredients

from natural processes like

fermentation require expertise to

deliver consistent functionality

and sensory profiles.

Brands and manufacturers

often use both clean label

and conventional preservation

methods as they have multiple

product lines targeting different

consumer segments. Clean label

preservation technologies and

front-of-pack claims and positions

can help a product stand out

on the shelf and often gain a

consumer premium. They can

also deliver a better final taste and

appeal score than conventional

preservation solutions.

In one external study comparing

calcium propionate, fermented

wheat, and vinegar-based

solutions with unpreserved bread,

it was found that the vinegarbased

innovation had the closest

score to the unpreserved bread in

terms of appeal — scoring much

higher than the most popular

conventional and clean label

solutions. While propionates and

fermentates are widely accepted

and some of the most popular

solutions for shelf-life in a bakery,

it shows the opportunity to stand

out in a competitive market with

a cleaner, more appealing taste

that is closer to homemade bread.

All are viable ways to extend the

shelf life of bread, reduce its waste

and increase its sustainability.

It is important therefore to find

next-generation preservation

solutions to support more

sustainable nutrition and create

healthier, more naturally derived

foods. There are opportunities to

create combination solutions to

allow lower dosing of individual

components for the same or

greater protection and cleaner

tastes — the bakery space presents

a great chance to help protect the

planet’s resources, reduce waste

and feed more people. FBA


26

INGREDIENTS

A natural chewing

experience: Chewing

gum with ERYLITE erythritol

With a growing demand for natural products,

a study at Jungbunzlauer demonstrates

the performance of alternative sweeteners

for chewing gum.

By Dr Marianne Dölz, technical service, Jungbunzlauer International;

Florian Gutschalk, application technology, Jungbunzlauer Ladenburg;

Johanna Guse, application technology, Jungbunzlauer Ladenburg

Jungbunzlauer’s ERYLITE erythritol is a

polyol manufactured by fermentation from

glucose syrup, which is obtained from maize.

Since the fermentation process does not

involve genetically modified organisms,

and the use of chemicals is avoided during

processing, Jungbunzlauer considers

ERYLITE to be a natural sweetener. The

idea of using erythritol in chewing gum is

not new, but its use was widely patented

in the early nineties, which restrict the

development of new recipes over a

prolonged period. However, many of those

patents have expired over the past 15

years and all of the major market players

have launched chewing gums containing

erythritol. The studies reported in this

article illustrate the basic functions of

ERYLITE as a chewing gum ingredient.

Erythritol provides only about 60% of the

sweetness of sugar, so high-intensity

sweeteners such as stevia need to be

added to augment the sweetness in most

cases. Even so, the negative heat of the

solution generated by ERYLITE makes it

an interesting candidate for inclusion in

chewing gum. The dissolution of ERYLITE

induces a cooling effect in the mouth,

which pairs well with mint flavours. In

the following experiments, xylitol was

used as a reference polyol, because it

demonstrates a similar cooling effect and

appeared to exhibit the greatest similarity

with ERYLITE out of all the polyols currently

used in the chewing gum industry.

DEVELOPMENT OF CHEWING GUM

RECIPES

Two recipes were developed (Table 1) using

a natural chicle gum base and a synthetic

gum base which are commonly used in

the confectionery industry. Both of these

recipes contain Jungbunzlauer’s ERYLITE

in combination with stevia rebaudioside A

(RebA) to adjust the sweetness.

Jungbunzlauer produces ERYLITE F8030

granules, with a maximum of 25% of particles

above 800µm and a maximum of 10% below

300µm. However, the ERYLITE was milled and

sieved to obtain the finer particles required

for chewing gum with a pleasant mouthfeel

and chewing experience. Only particles

smaller than 150µm were used in the recipe.

Glycerine acts as a moisturiser and prevents

chewing gum from drying out. Maltitol

syrup is a sugar-free alternative to glucose

syrup. It also serves as a binding agent and

plasticiser. Furthermore, it gives texture to

the chewing gum. As the chicle gum base is

soft and elastic, adding maltitol syrup to the

chicle gum was unnecessary. A mixture of

liquid and powdered mint flavours provided

a pleasant, fresh aroma. The flavourings

also function as plasticisers. Lecithin

additionally supports the homogenous

distribution of the flavour and plasticisers.

Preliminary trials were conducted on the

fortification of these two chewing gum

products with zinc, using 15% of the

recommended nutrient reference value (NRV)

per 100g product. Jungbunzlauer zinc salts

are often used in dental care products such

as toothpastes, mouthwashes and chewing

gums due to their antimicrobial and antiinflammatory

effects and their ability to reduce

or inhibit the formation of dental plaque and

tartar. Jungbunzlauer produces zinc lactate

and zinc citrate, which differ in terms of

mineral content and solubility (zinc lactate

is 23% zinc with a solubility of 55 g/L; zinc

citrate dihydrate is 32% zinc with a solubility of

2.6 g/L). Fortification with minerals may alter

the taste of the final product, and this must be

taken into consideration when formulating the

product. However, the recommended NRV for

zinc is very low, thus only small amounts are

needed to fulfil oral hygiene benefit claims.


INGREDIENTS 27

ANALYSIS METHODS FOR CHEWING

GUM

Shelf-life test and storage

Chewing gum strips of each recipe were

stored unpacked under different climatic

conditions and relative humidities (RH) for

two months:

• Temperate condition: Room

temperature (21°C); 40 – 60% RH

• Subtropical/Mediterranean

condition: 30°C, 50% RH

• Hot/humid condition: 30°C, 65% RH

Chewing gums can dry out or bind water,

which causes them to lose or gain weight

and shorten their shelf life. The samples were

weighed regularly to document the changes

in mass, which are associated with instability.

Texture analysis

Chewing gums were cut into strips of the

same dimensions (40mmx15mmx2mm)

and pre-heated to 50°C in a climatic

cabinet. Shortly before the measurement

started, the samples were removed and

fixed centrally to a sample platform and

hook. The analysis started at 35°C ± 2°C,

simulating oral temperature. Once a trigger

force of 5g was attained, the hook was

used to extend the chewing gum sample

until its elastic limit (at maximum force)

was exceeded and the sample broke. At

this point, force and distance were noted

and used as an indication of chewing gum

extensibility. The maximum force required

to break the chewing gum into two pieces

is expressed as “resistance to extension”.

The degree or distance to which a product

can be extended before it breaks is referred

to as “extensibility” and correlates to the

elasticity of a product 1 . The texture analysis

was carried out 10 times per recipe.

SYNTHETIC GUM BASE

Table 1: Chewing gum recipe with synthetic and natural chicle gum

[g] [%]

ERYLITE 610.00 60.65

Stevia RebA 0.732 0.07

Synthetic gum base 300.00 29.83

Maltitol syrup 50.00 4.97

Glycerine 99.5% 15.00 1.49

Lecithin 5.00 0.50

Mint flavour (liquid) 5.00 0.50

Peppermint flavour (solid) 7.50 0.75

Mint flavour (solid) 12.50 1.24

Zinc citrate dihydrate* 0.049 0.005

Total 1006 100

SYNTHETIC GUM BASE

[g] [%]

ERYLITE 640.00 63.65

Stevia RebA 0.768 0.08

Natural chicle gum base 300.00 29.83

Glycerine 99.5% 40.00 3.98

Mint flavour (liquid) 5.00 0.50

Peppermint flavour (solid) 7.50 0.75

Mint flavour (solid) 12.50 1.24

Zinc citrate dihydrate* 0.049 0.005

Total 1006 100

*Zinc citrate dihyrdrate or zinc lactate were only tested for off-noted in a sensory

screening as indicated and not contained in the standard recipe

Sensory evaluation

Jungbunzlauer’s internal sensory panel

conducted an initial sensory screening of

chewing gums using the “just-about-right”

(JAR) scale. This provided information on

perceptions of texture, sweetness as well

as flavour intensity and cooling sensation,

and their possible impact on the acceptance

of the various products. Attributes were

evaluated over time starting at 10 seconds

and ending after 120 seconds of chewing.

Panellists had to evaluate whether the

intensity of each attribute is perceived as

“just right”, as opposed to either too much,

not enough, too soft or too hard.

A further discriminative evaluation (paired

comparison tests) was conducted. The

panellists directly compared the two versions

in terms of hardness, sweetness and cooling

effect. There were 19 to 26 panellists

present for the sensory sessions and the

significance level applied for statistical

analysis was set atαα=0.05.

Finally, chewing gums to which zinc

salts had been added manually were

also evaluated for off-notes. Zinc

lactate and zinc citrate were mixed

into the synthetic-based chewing gum

with ERYLITE. This sensory session

with 12 participants took place under

informal conditions and expressiveness

is therefore limited. Nevertheless, the

data provide an initial indication of

the impact of zinc salts on the taste

of chewing gums with ERYLITE.


28

INGREDIENTS

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Storage tests

During storage under subtropical conditions,

and at room temperature, mass changes

were very small for all samples. The highest

mass changes, ranging from 2.6-4.6%, were

observed under humid conditions (Fig. 1).

According to the literature, xylitol is

highly hygroscopic while erythritol is not

hygroscopic, as compared to sugar or other

sugar alcohols 2 . Nevertheless, the storage

tests showed both recipes to be relatively

stable at room temperature and under

Mediterranean storage conditions. While

small differences were observed between

the synthetic and the chicle gum base with

xylitol under humid conditions, the samples

with ERYLITE exhibited similar behaviour

regardless of which gum base was used.

Fig. 1: Relative mass change of chewing gum with synthetic or natural chicle gum base,

sweetened with xylitol or ERYLITE and stored under humid conditions

Texture analysis

The following Figure 2 shows that the force

required to break the chewing gums is

similar regardless of whether they contain

ERYLITE or xylitol. Although the synthetic

gum containing xylitol appeared to be

more resistant to extension, this was not

statistically significant, and ERYLITE and

xylitol are comparable in this respect.

Fig. 2: Resistance to extension of chewing gum with synthetic or natural chicle gum base,

sweetened with xylitol or ERYLITE

The extensibility (Fig. 3), ie. the distance

until the chewing gums break, is the same

for ERYLITE and xylitol, in combination

with both the synthetic gum base

and the natural chicle gum base

The texture analysis represents an attempt

to illustrate the effects of ERYLITE and

xylitol on texture based on quantitative

data. Although the method might miss

some physiological aspects like the

influence of saliva, it provides a good

indication that adding ERYLITE or xylitol

will lead to similar effects in each case.

Sensory evaluation

For the JAR analysis, each product

was evaluated in a separate session on

different days and so there was no direct

comparison in this set-up. The following

graphs show the results expressed as

frequencies of each attribute for synthetic

chewing gum with ERYLITE or xylitol as

well as chicle gum with ERYLITE or xylitol.

Fig. 3: Extensibility of chewing gum with synthetic or natural chicle gum base, sweetened

with xylitol or ERYLITE

Both sensory evaluations with chewing

gum using the synthetic gum base

(Fig. 4) indicate that the texture of the

chewing gum was perceived as too hard,

both initially and after 120 seconds of

chewing. The initial sweetness was mostly

rated “just right” but overall sweetness

intensity decreased while chewing. This

was especially the case for chewing gums

with ERYLITE. The flavour was not intense

enough in either product. The cooling

sensation was perceived as “just right” by

62% (ERYLITE) and 68% (xylitol), respectively.

Irrespective of whether ERYLITE or xylitol

was used, both chewing gums with the

chicle gum base (Fig.5) were perceived as

too hard at the initial stage. However, the

chicle gum versions were rated as less hard

compared to the synthetic gum base.


INGREDIENTS 29

Fig. 4: Results of JAR analysis of synthetic gums with ERYLITE

and xylitol

Fig.5: Results of JAR analysis of natural chicle gums with ERYLITE

and xylitol

The initial and overall sweetness of xylitol

seems to be higher (“just right” compared

to ERYLITE (initial sweetness vs sweetness

intensity).

Flavour expression was too low in both

chicle-based chewing gums. The cooling

sensation was pleasant and with ERYLITE

even more acceptable (65% “just right”)

than with xylitol (50% “just right”).

PAIRED

COMPARISON TESTS

Synthetic gum base

ERYLITE vs xylitol

Natural gum base:

ERYLITE vs xylitol

SWEETNESS HARDNESS COOLING EFFECT

No sign. difference

(p-value:0.3593)

Sign. difference

(p-value:0.0192)

No sign. difference

(p-value:0.0636)

No sign. difference

(p-value:>0.9999)

Table 2: Results of paired comparison tests (n=19, sign. level α=0.05)

sign. difference

(p-value:0.0192)

No sign. difference

(p-value:0.3593)

Detection of potential differences between

the two sweetening systems was enhanced

by comparing both versions of synthetic

gum and natural chicle gum directly through

paired comparison tests for attributes of

specific interest (sweetness, hardness and

cooling sensation) as shown in Table 2.

There was no significant difference between

the synthetic chewing gum with ERYLITE or

xylitol in terms of sweetness or hardness.

This corroborates the findings of the JAR

evaluation where both synthetic gums

were perceived as too hard and overall

sweetness values were low. In this direct

comparison, the cooling effect was perceived

as significantly stronger for the xylitol version.

The chewing gums based on chicle did

not differ significantly in terms of hardness

or cooling effect, but here xylitol was

perceived as significantly sweeter than

ERYLITE, which can be also seen in the

results of the “just-about-right” analysis

(initial and sweetness intensity).

The results of the paired comparison

tests complement the findings of the JAR

evaluation and reveal that, in general,

there may be differences between ERYLITE

and xylitol. However, no conclusions can

be drawn from this study regarding the

extent to which these differences are

due to the inherent properties of the

sweetener or the overall recipe (influence

of gum bases or other ingredients).

Finally, an informal sensory screening

comparing chewing gums with and without

zinc salts indicated that Jungbunzlauer

zinc salts do not seem to impact on

taste. However, since these results were

obtained only with a small test panel

and the addition of only 15% NRV in 100g

of chewing gum, further experiments

and testing are recommended.

SUMMARY

In conclusion, the results show that ERYLITE

can be used as a sweetener in chewing

gums and offers a natural alternative to

other commonly used sweeteners. Results

for recipes with ERYLITE were very similar

to those with xylitol in terms of storage

stability and texture analysis. Some

differences that were detected during the

sensory evaluation can be addressed easily

by making adjustments to the recipe. FBA

REFERENCES

1

Stable Micro Systems. “How to Measure

Extensibility/Elongation”. https://www.

stablemicrosystems.com/MeasureExtensibility.

html, accessed 10 February 2022, 16:50

2

Mitchell H. Sweeteners and Sugar Alternatives

in Food Technology. Oxford:Wiley-Blackwell,

2006


30

INGREDIENTS

Building an ironclad

immunity with

gut-friendly food

As the world emerges from

the shadow of the pandemic,

maintaining gut health remains an

ever-relevant issue for consumers.

By Christian Philippsen, managing director at

BENEO Asia-Pacific

As more countries in Asia ease

COVID-19 restrictions, maintaining

good health and immunity continues

to remain at the top of many

people’s agendas. Consumers

have made it their utmost priority

to strengthen and maintain their

immune system — the body’s first

line of defence against diseases.

What most may not know, is that

our gut houses 70% of our inner

defence system, therefore making

it an instrumental target for any

nutritional plan. A balanced diet and

a smart choice of nutrient intake

that reinforces digestive health is

thus a great way to support our

inner defence system in a longlasting

manner, ensuring we are

in optimal condition to fend off

current and future health threats.

Imagine the gut as a steel pipe

with room inside for food residue,

faeces and microbiota biomass.

The surrounding steel symbolises

the gut wall structure — a wall

to protect the inside from the

outside and vice versa. The cells

of the immune system in the

intestine and the microbiota living

there are interconnected, as a

human “inner defence force”.

The composition of the

microorganism populations living in

the large intestine is influenced by

many factors. There is, however, a

natural way to selectively promote

the growth of good bacteria:

providing the bifidobacteria with

food that helps them grow in the

quickest possible way. Gut friendly

foods, such as prebiotics, can

be supportive in nourishing the

microbiota. The selective increase

in bifidobacteria helps to support a

person’s digestive health and overall

wellbeing, whilst helping to keep their

inner defence system in good shape.

BREAKING DOWN THE

SCIENCE

The large intestine, the section of

our gut that houses the majority

of our immune system, is home

to trillions of microorganisms that

live both inside the gut and on the

inner surface of the gut wall.


BENEO’s Orafti inulin and

oligofructose (chicory root fibres)

are natural prebiotics that can

be added to various products to

suit the palate of the consumer.

Furthermore, chicory root fibres

are plant-based prebiotics.

BENEO’s functional fibres have

been shown to support a healthy

microbiota and the selective

increase in bifidobacteria in more

than 50 human intervention

studies. Health benefits related

include, among others, improved

digestive health as well as a boosted

inner defence and immunity that

counteract systemic inflammation

and other aspects. An EU-approved

health claim granted for BENEO’s

Orafti inulin also confirms the

beneficial effect on digestive health

by improving bowel regularity.

THE BENEFITS OF CHICORY

ROOT FOR YOUNG AND OLD

The plethora of benefits extend

across the age spectrum as

well. Inulin and oligofructose

can support bifidobacteria

growth not only in adults, but in

infants and small children too.

In a systematic review and metaanalysis

that assessed the efficacy of

prebiotics in the prevention of acute

infectious diseases in children 0-24

months old, researchers concluded

that “prebiotics may also be effective

in decreasing the rate of overall

infections” in that age group 1 .

A human intervention study 2 was

also conducted on 142 elderly

patients hospitalised for Clostridium

difficile-induced diarrhoea. One

group of patients received 12g/day of

oligofructose, while the other received

12g/day of sucrose as a placebo,

for 30 days. Relapses of diarrhoea

were significantly more common

in the placebo group than in the

oligofructose group, which resulted

in significantly longer hospitalisation

for the patients who received

the placebo. Improvements in

aspects of immune response

were proven in other studies

of vaccination trials 3 as well.

HOW FOOD

MANUFACTURERS COME

INTO THE PICTURE

With 77% of Asia Pacific consumers

saying they recognise the

connection between digestive

health issues and their overall

health 4 , food manufacturers

now have a reason to

reinvent their catalogues.

Apart from the ironclad scientific

evidence of its health benefits,

BENEO’s Orafti inulin and

oligofructose (chicory root

fibres) also boast technicalities

that allow them to be easily

used in most food and drink

applications, making them ideal

in production processes. There is

no better time than now for food

manufacturers to start supporting

consumers on their journey

to a healthier lifestyle. FBA

REFERENCES

1

Lohner S, Kullenberg D, Antes G

et al. (2014) “Prebiotics in healthy

infants and children for prevention

of acute infectious diseases: a

systematic review and metaanalysis”.

Nutr Rev 72(8): 523–531.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/

pubmed/24903007

2

Lewis S, Burmeister S, Brazier

J (2005) “Effect of the prebiotic

oligofructose on relapse of

Clostridium difficile-associated

diarrhea: a randomized, controlled

study”. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol

3 (5): 442–448.

3

Lomax AR, Cheung LV, Noakes PS,

Miles EA, Calder PC (2015) “Inulin-

Type β2-1 Fructans have Some

Effect on the Antibody Response

to Seasonal Influenza Vaccination

in Healthy Middle-Aged Humans”.

Front Immunol. 22;6:490.

4

FMCG Gurus (2020), Digestive

Health Survey


32

ON THE TABLE

Sodexo walks

the walk on

sustainability

Though most companies have drafted

greener strategies in a bid for greater

sustainability, considerable results can be

achieved not by only looking inward, but also

by reaching out to local communities.

By Agatha Wong

While the call for greater sustainability has

always been clear on the public front, the

private sector’s commitment to the issue has

been residing in a greyer area. Greenwashing

and lobbying are some of the accusations that

were levelled at corporations in past years as

the world pays greater attention to its actions

on the planet. Many expect companies to

not only talk the talk but also walk the walk.

As other companies are stirring from

their hesitance to adopt greater

sustainability measures, Sodexo has been

supportive of its goals

towards a sustainable future.

On its website, Sodexo, a global integrated

facilities management company, claims to be

“the first food service company” to align its

objectives to limit its global temperature rise

to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Amongst

other objectives, the company has also

listed actions it plans to take to meet these

targets, especially as a food service provider.

“Sodexo is committed to encouraging our

consumers to develop good eating habits

and healthy lifestyles. With the help of our

nutritionists, we create balanced, nourishing

meals adapted to guests’ lifestyles and the

diversity of their tastes around the world.

Our approach to sustainable and healthy

eating relies on four main factors:

responsible sourcing; promoting plant-based

meals; nutrition, health, and well-being;

and the prevention of food waste,” shared

Lee Qi Ni, corporate responsibility and

diversity, equity and inclusion lead,

Malaysia and Singapore at Sodexo.

that end, the company has been working

with local food providers and producers.

“In April 2022, we announced our

partnership with celebrity chef Bjorn Shen

to bring his culinary expertise to create

plant-based menus for Sodexo’s existing

consumers. This partnership reaffirms

Sodexo’s commitment to doing good

business in a good way by ramping up its

food sustainability efforts. Through Chef

Bjorn’s elevation of plant-based foods,

Sodexo hopes to inspire consumers to get

creative with simple, everyday alternatives.”

While promoting greener business

operations — such as reducing carbon

emissions, transitioning to cleaner energy,

decreasing plastic waste and more — are

familiar to many, building a sustainable

food system requires more than that.

Besides enabling greener production

lines, the focus has also shifted to the

food itself, and how it is being managed.

LOCAL INITIATIVES

In Singapore, Sodexo has aligned

itself with the country’s 30 by 30

goals — the initiative which aims

to produce 30% of the country’s

nutritional needs by 2030. To

SPOTLIGHT ON FOOD WASTE

The global food system is currently able

to produce more than enough food for the

global population. However, one-third of

the food produced is lost and wasted, with

others being purchased faster before it is


ON THE TABLE 33

consumed. The United Nations Environment

Programme estimated that 1.3 billion tonnes

of food are lost or wasted every year.

Yet, food waste is not something which

comes to the front of people’s minds when

discussing food sustainability, according to

Lee, even when it is responsible for 10% of all

emissions caused by human activity globally.

“Fighting food waste requires a huge effort

from all participants in the food chain to make a

decisive positive impact. Studies show that food

waste occurs at every phase of the industry

value chain, from production to consumption,”

revealed Lee. “Sodexo is part of the International

Food Waste Coalition (IFWC) whereby we

work with other companies to address the

issue of food waste through a collaborative

‘farm-to-fork’ approach. This approach

engages with each actor calling on them to

take their responsibility in the fight against

food waste and to adopt a global strategy.”

In the case of food waste management,

the use of data can be an efficient tool for

monitoring and minimising waste, enabling

resources to be used, or reused, sustainably. For

example, Sodexo has created the WasteWatch

programme which uses leverages data

analytics to identify how certain ingredients

are wasted in their kitchens at various stages

and redirects resources to productive use.

“Our very own WasteWatch programme has

helped educational institutions and other

industry partners reduce carbon footprints.

Powered by LeanPath, the WasteWatch

programme transparently measures food

waste. It taps on data analytics to accurately

measure and feedback demand for and waste

of certain ingredients. This helps businesses

to rapidly and easily capture food waste

data, giving clear insights into what is being

wasted in their kitchens and why,” explained

Lee. “Targeted waste management not

only helps us to source responsibly, reduce

our carbon footprints — it also reduces

bottom line costs. Ultimately, better use and

stewardship of the resources available to us

ensure that there’s more of it to go around.”

Singapore is one of many developed nations

that have taken on the mantle of reducing food

waste. In the last 10 years, the island nation has

Sodexo has partnered with chef Bjorn Shen (right) to create plant-based menus for the company

seen a 20% increase in food waste, with around landscape — they make up for more than 90%

744 million kilograms of food waste generated of all companies in Singapore and contribute

in 2019. For food-scarce countries such as to nearly half of Singapore's GDP and

Singapore, which imports most of its food, this employ about 70% of the local workforce.”

is a considerable issue — as more resources

are required to meet food demands, more Drawing on an example, Lee pointed out that

facilities to manage food waste are needed Sodexo has been working with local startups

on food solutions. In Singapore, Sodexo

as well. The issue is thus one of multiplicity.

has partnered with Cryowerx to deploy

“Since the implementation of WasteWatch RFID smart fridges and a corresponding

at an international school in Singapore in mobile application to provide employees

2018, we’ve helped them save approximately and consumers with convenient access

30 metric tonnes of carbon. We are on

to fresh meals without the need to queue

our way to meet our target of 50% food

in long lines. The company’s supply chain

waste reduction by 2025,” shared Lee.

experts are also increasingly sourcing

local and seasonal produce and working

NO MATTER THE SIZE

with local farmers and producers.

Going from the macro to the micro, another

aspect of managing food waste also lies in These strategies from the company prove

reaching out to small and medium-sized that the path towards sustainability can only

enterprises (SMEs). These businesses,

be found in teamwork. While strategies such

though small, can establish significant power as cutting carbon emissions and creating a

over the industry as a whole. Extending the more circular economy are helpful measures,

sustainability agenda to these organisations it is only when companies also actively take

will therefore be a big step forward for

the reins and reach out to

the overall cause, Lee acknowledged.

the local communities,

that a sustainable

“It is important that SMEs be a part of the future can become

conversation. After all, they are the drivers of a reality. FBA

green and inclusive growth, but they can often

be overlooked. Shouldering equal responsibility

towards the economic, social and natural

environments as large corporations, SMEs are a

force to be reckoned with, especially since they

are the backbone of Singapore's economic


34

ON THE TABLE

The greener side of life:

ADM delivers botanical additions

to brands and consumers

Good and green are the two main attributes consumers associate with

botanical ingredients. Lois Mo, marketing director, health and wellness,

Asia-Pacific, ADM, reveals how brands can leverage these advantages for

their products, and tap into a demand for herbs, spices, and everything nice.

By Agatha Wong

Botanicals and other plant-derived ingredients

have been enjoying a surge in popularity in

recent years, due to a growing concern

with health and a fad for naturally-derived

ingredients. According to a report by Mordor

Intelligence, the global botanicals extract

market is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of

6.63%, from 2022-2027. It seems, then, that

this trend is here to stay, even as the larger

food and beverage industry emerges from

the pandemic and settles into a new normal.

“Botanicals can satisfy consumers’ increased

need for adventure by offering authentic

flavours and exotic sensory experiences.

As the body of scientific evidence on the

potential of botanical extracts to support

aspects of well-being continues to grow, it

builds credibility and makes botanicals even

more attractive than before,” affirmed Lois Mo,

marketing director, health and wellness, Asia-

Pacific, ADM. “Today, consumers associate

botanicals with being natural, trustworthy,

safe, sustainable and health-forward, and

they perceive them as having a ‘healthy halo’.”

With this, according to Mo, more people

are seeking out these naturally sourced

ingredients that are recognisable, such as

botanical ingredients, and wanting foods

that can help support aspects of health

and wellness, such as immune function,

cardiovascular and digestive health, with

attributes associated

with positive mood,

relaxation, and quality

sleep. Brands can therefore

tap into botanicals to meet the health

and wellness demands of consumers.

NOT SO EXOTIC

The potential for botanicals in the Asian

market is also significant. Botanicals are

no stranger to the Asian diet. The region is

home to traditional Chinese medicine, where

herbs are used to treat ailments and support

everyday wellness; likewise, Indian ayurvedic

medicine has had a long history of use in

the region. These forms of holistic medicine

have achieved mainstream prominence

not only in Asia, but in other parts of the

world, as ingredients for supplements.

“Over the years, botanical ingredients with

standardised composition have evolved

in tandem with consumers’ evolving

definition of health. For example, turmeric

is a spice that has become an integral

part of South Asian food, culture, and

traditional medicine. In Ayurvedic practices,

turmeric is thought to have many medicinal

properties,” noted Mo. “Turmeric has been

associated with multiple benefits linked to

its primary bioactive component, curcumin.

Curcumin is associated with antioxidant

and anti-inflammatory properties.”


ON THE TABLE 35

As consumers in Asia-Pacific increasingly

seek to incorporate botanicals into their daily

lives, she continued, brands can provide

flexible and convenient formats that fit into

consumers’ lifestyles. This goes beyond

providing traditional products in tablet form

but extending their formats to different

forms, such as a stir-in supplement. In the

case of turmeric, this spice lends itself well

in golden drinks such as a golden latte or

golden milk, as well as fruit smoothies.

Altogether, the trend towards botanicals in

general, alongside the long history of herbs

and other naturally-derived ingredients in this

region, can provide brands with the stepping

stone they need for their first steps into

developing products for consumers in the

region. With this familiarity, brands can also

be emboldened to try different combinations

with different botanical ingredients.

TWO TO TANGO

In recent years, consumers are also moving

on from single ingredients to botanical

pairings for enhanced benefits. These

pairings often provide complementary

functions that can encourage better

performance. Brands can also utilise these

pairings to signal certain wellness benefits

to consumers. With 46% of global consumers

willing to pay more for products with better

functions or performance benefits, as

reflected in a NielsenIQ report, there is an

opportunity for brands to incorporate more

than one ingredient into their products.

“Botanical pairings can indeed complement

one another to support consumer appeal

grounded in shifting health and wellness

trends. For example, botanicals like lavender

and chamomile pair well, as they are thought

by consumers to signal a calming effect and

support healthy sleep. Consumers associate

edible flowers like hibiscus and elderflower

with positive wellness attributes, and these

pair well with other wellness-signalling

flavours, such as lemon, orange, and mint,”

suggested Mo. “Additionally, a combination of

botanicals and other functional ingredients

appeal to discerning consumers. For example,

consumers associate prebiotics, probiotics

and postbiotics with support for aspects

of metabolic and digestive health, as well

as immune function and skin health.”

IN THE RIGHT DOSES

However, there are also potential issues that

can come with implementing botanicals.

Regulatory issues, interactions with other

ingredients, and potential contaminations

are some problems that might plague

manufacturers. Other issues include

authenticity and traceability, which can

pose serious problems to consumers if the

ingredients are not well-validated. Indeed, not

all that is plant-derived is automatically safe.

Mo added: “Some botanicals may break

down or become unstable during the

formulation process. ADM understands

the chemistry of our botanical ingredients,

and our technical experts can help guide

formulators in choosing the right botanicals

for the specific processing conditions of the

product to ensure optimal stability. We also

test for organoleptic parameters or solubility,

to be able to add delicate botanicals to

various food and beverage formulations.”

For companies like ADM, Mo shared, who

can use their portfolio of botanical extracts,

science-backed microbiome solutions, and

functional ingredients, brands also easily

ascertain the quality of their products.

“ADM places great emphasis on the

authenticity of our products as well as

the traceability and sustainability of our

supply chain. We take pride in our longstanding

extraction know-how to produce

in-house, standardised products, and our

manufacturing sites are located close to

the growing regions of key raw materials,

such as in the Mediterranean for carob

or in the Amazonas for ‘superfruits'."

Botanicals have a strong appeal of being

sourced from nature, reiterated Mo. As

consumers look for clean labels and natural

ways to meet their wellness goals, brands

should seek out producers who provide

botanicals derived directly from nature

and have kitchen-level ingredient appeal

on product labels to attract shoppers. With

taste and science-backed objectives in

mind, brands can thus deliver safe and

premium products for their customers.

“We have developed several concepts that

incorporate our standardised botanicals

in indulgent health-forward foods and

beverages. For instance, our delicious

chocolate coffee energy syrup shot is a

perfect addition to coffee, smoothies, and

shakes. It includes our guarana and green

coffee extracts as well as our Fibersol dietary

fibre and award-winning BPL1 strain, which

combine to provide energy and support for

factors related to metabolic health.” FBA


36

PROCESSING AND PACKAGING

High-performance

metal detection for

expanding product ranges

Multi-spectrum technology can help food producers meet

demands for different product varieties and characteristics.

Food processing is a competitive

market and consumer demand

for new and different product

varieties are constantly growing.

Expanding one’s product range can

present challenges when it comes

to choosing the right inspection

equipment needed to cope with a

variety of product characteristics.

However, advancements in

technology can now enable food

processors to run multiple products

through the same production lines.

and capture new markets, the

pandemic has also seen them

putting in additional production

lines — to help them pivot their

operations and meet the demand

for new and different products.

In many cases, their standard

metal detector is no longer able to

cope with the variety of products

running down their new lines, but

by utilising high-performance

solutions which incorporate multispectrum

technology, they are now

able to successfully manage the

variation of products produced.

MAKING MULTI-SPECTRUM

THE STANDARD

As a manufacturer of metal detectors,

CEIA produces metal detectors

using multi-spectrum technology.

This innovative technology uses

multiple frequencies simultaneously,

CHOOSING THE RIGHT METAL

DETECTOR

Choosing the right metal detector

can be a complex process, especially

when product characteristics such

as salt content and temperature

variations are involved. It becomes

critical to then choose the correct

model of metal detector to best cope

with these variations. Partnering

with a supplier with extensive

experience, and who understands

and can explain the various concepts

behind the technology becomes

even more critical to success.

Heat and Control has been offering

packaging and inspection solutions

for the food industry. While many

processors expand their product

ranges to remain competitive

The CEIA THS/MS21 is the world’s only multi-spectrum metal detector


PROCESSING AND PACKAGING 37

meaning that they can increase

sensitivity, reduce false rejects,

and detect thin metal fragments.

The CEIA THS/MS21 is a multispectrum

metal detector. It has

specialised detection capabilities

and extreme sensitivity to magnetic,

non-magnetic, and 316 stainlesssteel

metal contaminants; and is

available in a USDA-approved design.

It is suitable for nearly all variations of

food product characteristics and can

detect foreign objects while operating

simply, efficiently and at high speed at

the same time, collecting and retaining

important production run data.

The integrated auto-learn function

allows these metal detectors to be

easily set up for new products all the

while ensuring high levels of sensitivity.

With minimal manual adjustment, the

metal detector can quickly learn the

properties of any new product and

informs the user on how many passes

it needs to understand and map

the new product. More importantly,

the MS21 also self-calibrates itself

continuously and logs the result in

the data stream, confirming that the

unit is operating at its optimum level.

If there is a problem in its calibration

the unit raises an alarm, which can

be audible and visual highlighting

that there is noncompliance. This

feature not only saves on the

possibility of a contaminant escaping

detection, it also more importantly

reduces the risk of a potentially

expensive recall, along with

damaging the brand of a product.

The auto-learn function also

outperforms other metal detectors

which experience difficulty inspecting

non-homogenous products. Inferior,

traditional metal detectors commonly

trigger “false positives” during metal

detection, usually when food

composition and mineral levels

incorrectly indicate the presence of

metal. This leads to a perfectly good

product being rejected and the loss

of a profitable, saleable product.

Currently, metal detectors are

only able to use one frequency at

any one time. Processors using a

limited frequency unit must reduce

the unit’s sensitivity to prevent

false reject signals caused by salt,

moisture content, and other product

effect conditions that may produce

a signal on the metal detector which

is close to the product signal. As the

CEIA multi-spectrum technology

utilises multiple frequencies at

the same time it can understand

the product effect better than

any other to then allow maximum

metal detection performance, and

therefore outstanding detection

capabilities. FBA


38


Safeguarding

the food safety and

product quality in an

indoor vertical farm

Harvesting daily in a high-rise building

in Singapore, Sustenir Agriculture

has installed a TOMRA optical sorting

machine, enhancing product quality and

reducing food waste.

Although it is home to 5.6 million

people, the city-state of Singapore is

located on a small island that covers

merely 715km 2 . As a consequence of

crowding, it has been necessary to

expand upwards, accommodating

residents and businesses in highrise

buildings. Land is in such great

demand in Singapore that only 1% is

used for conventional farming, with

local food production meeting less

than 10% of residents' nutritional

needs. But now agriculture, too, is

reaching for the skies: investment is

increasing in indoor vertical farming.

Hong Kong and will open another

in Jakarta by early 2023. Sustenir

describes itself as a specialist in

growing "superfoods for supercities,

farming at the heart of demand

in urban populations to minimise

carbon footprint whilst maximising

positive impact in local communities."

Sustenir's Singapore farm, located

in the Sembawang district at the

northern tip of the state, employs 90

people and occupies 4,000m 2 over

four floors of a light industrial building

that has multiple commercial tenants.

Here, baby leaf crops are grown in

five to six layers on rigs 2.5m high.

Sustenir harvests crops daily

throughout the year, selling them as

100% clean, with no need for washing

before eating. The company's indoor

farm uses no pesticides, generates 92%

lesser carbon emissions than imported

produce and consumes 95% less water

than conventional farming on arable

land. The company recently decided to

take care of food safety and product

quality by investing in its first optical

sorting machine from TOMRA Food.

This trend is being encouraged by the

Singapore Food Agency (SFA), the

national authority entrusted with the

mission of ensuring that the nation

has a resilient supply of food safety

and food security from farm to fork.

According to SFA, multi-storey LED

vegetable farms can produce 10-15

times more vegetables, per square

metre, than conventional farms.

One company that focuses on vertical

farming is Sustenir Agriculture, which

runs indoor farms in Malaysia and



As well as removing foreign materials

and product defects, Sustenir's sorter

was set up by TOMRA's to minimise

food waste and maximise revenue

by making products saleable at two

different food grades. This is made

possible by sorting the crops twice.

In the first stage, Sustenir sorts the

crops for top-grade products for

retail. The sorter is programmed to

detect and eject all product that

is misshapen or holed or has any

yellowish or brown leaves. Though

this sorting task demands high

accuracy, TOMRA's machine

achieves it with a low false

reject rate of less than 2%.

INDOOR FARMING CHALLENGES

Sustenir's Singapore farm grows

kale, curly kale, spinach, arugula

(rocket), and lettuce. Even when

grown in a precisely-controlled

indoor environment, these crops

are vulnerable to a wide range of

natural defects: chlorosis, black spot,

crystallisation, black rot, tip burn, light

burn, discolouration, and purple leaf.

Another risk at indoor farms is

foreign materials. Though it is

true that indoor crops are grown

in clean and dry conditions, even

so, they face the threats of insect

damage (from the tiny fungus gnat),

foam, and fragments of plastic.

Sustenir initially removed defects and

foreign materials manually, relying on

the vision and concentration of 20

people. However, human sorters are

subjective, imperfect and significantly

less accurate when tired or bored.

Since manual sorting is a relatively

slow process, it restricts throughput.

An optical sorting machine, however,

is accurate, consistent and fast.

Furthermore, optical sorters also

reduce food waste by enhancing

yields and recuperating some rejected

products for sale at lower grades.

It was only logical, then, that Sustenir

should transition from manual to

mechanical sorting. When Sustenir's

team witnessed a live online

demonstration of a TOMRA machine

sorting baby leaf vegetables, with

results precisely quantified, they

decided to acquire the machine.

STRICT SORTING CRITERIA AND

PAYBACK

To deliver the sorting machine to

the third floor of the building in

Sembawang, via a lift with limited space

and access, TOMRA's engineers had

to separate its upper and lower halves.

Then the machine was reassembled

at its working location before TOMRA's

team commissioned and calibrated

it. According to Lawrence de Leon,

project manager, automation,

Sustenir, these tasks were performed

“smoothly and expertly, with patience

and dedication. Although delivering

the machine was a challenge, it

was met very successfully.”

The second stage involves products

for sale to restaurants, Sustenir

re-sorts the product rejected during

the first sort. On this second run

through the machine, there is again

zero acceptance of brown products,

but now the sorting programme is

set to accept leaves which are up to

20% yellowish, as well as accepting

misshapen or holed products. All

products rejected during this second

sorting are discarded as compost.

Environmentally, TOMRA's sorter

has enabled Sustenir to take a

step forward in reducing food

waste — a key objective for the

company and SFA. Economically,

the sorter is delivering significant

savings: €30,000 every month.

De Leon commented: "We're delighted

with the effectiveness of TOMRA's

sorter and with the financial payback.

Investment in machinery typically

takes more than three years to

deliver a full return on investment,

but with TOMRA's machine, ROI will

be achieved in less than a year. We

will be investing in more TOMRA

sorters as part of our expansion."

Sustenir has been considering

acquiring three more TOMRA

sorters, for indoor farms in Hong

Kong, Jakarta and Malaysia. FBA


40


Food preservation:

Natural, clean and safe

Discerning consumers are

driving the need for more

natural alternatives in food

preservation, to maintain

freshness and taste.

Herbs and spices have traditionally been used for food preservation for thousands of years

The consumer demand for minimally

processed foods has been rapidly

increasing. Today’s consumers

look for natural and nutritious

ingredients, free from additives

and excessive heating. This trend

is motivated by consumers’ new

consciousness as they become

more aware of the effects of

excessive heat in food that often

damage the ingredients, resulting

in sensorial and nutritional loss.

These sophisticated, well-informed

consumers are not only demanding

fresh foods that look as good as they

taste but also how those products

affect their health. In specialty

grocery stores and supermarkets,

we are seeing an increased presence

of fermented foods, from the now

ubiquitous live probiotic yoghurts to

a wide range of probiotic beverages

and foods such as kombucha tea,

kimchi, kefir, pickled vegetables

and sauerkraut. In short, the

fermentation process does

more than enhance flavours

— it also imparts a level of

acidity that helps to extend

the shelf life of products.

Across Asia-Pacific, FMCG Gurus

has shown that consumers want

products they deem to be natural.

This cuts across all demographic

groups with an average of 74%

stating they look for groceries

that are 100% natural. The importance

of natural products stems from

consumers associating these products

with a variety of benefits such as the

products being safer, healthier, better

quality, local, and more transparent.

These factors have become more

important to consumers over the last

18 months, FMCG Gurus reports.

To cater to the rising consumer

demand, food processors are diving

Food-grade gases like nitrogen not only prohibits

further wine fermentation but also the formation

of bacteria and mould in the bottle

deeper into the natural preservation

space with innovations, modern

technologies and ingredients to

keep labels as clean as possible.

“In the clean label space, much of the

success in preservation and shelf-life

extension are found when utilising

multiple products, methods and

technologies to achieve the desired

outcomes,” said Nalin Amunugama,

general manager, BOGE Kompressoren



and acerola extracts with natural

antimicrobial solutions, such as

cultured dextrose and buffered

vinegar. The water-dispersible

dry powders have been shown to

improve both shelf life and food

safety in a variety of applications,

including meat and poultry, deli

salads, dips, sauces and dressings.

Kalsec’s blend of traditional antioxidant products with natural antimicrobial solutions

improve both shelf life and food safety in various applications (Image: Kalsec)

FOOD-GRADE GASES

In beverage manufacturing, nitrogen

is essential to processes like

sparging and inerting, and provides

internal pressure and rigidity to

stabilise thin-walled receptacles like

polyethylene terephthalate (PET)

bottles. It is also useful in preventing

discolouration and undesirable

flavours in beverages in noncarbonated

drinks like wine, iced

tea, fruit juices or milk by removing

dissolved oxygen in the liquids. For

facilities that require continuous

nitrogen flow, from processing right

up to the filling stage, reliable onsite

nitrogen generation is critical.

Asia-Pacific. “Pairing these methods

allows ingredient makers to

develop new portfolios of naturally

derived preservatives that maintain

clean auras on product labels.”

PLANT-BASED

TECHNOLOGIES

Innovations in plant-based

technologies present solutions

from plant-derived extracts with

properties that combat microbial

spoilage. Extracts from plants

like rosemary, green tea and

mushrooms possess antioxidant

properties that slow oxidative

degradation and quality loss. The

extracts come with the added

benefit that under typical use, they

are flavourless. Rosmarinic acid is

a naturally occurring polyphenol

in the rosemary plant. The acid

serves as an ideal alternative to

synthetic antioxidants used in food

preservation due to its antioxidant

and antimicrobial properties.

Flavour and fragrance company,

Blue California, in partnership with

Conagen, has launched naturebased

preservation offerings that

include Rosavel rosmarinic acid and

Taxifolin BC-DHQ. As a sustainable

source of rosmarinic acid made

possible with enzymatic bioconversion

manufacturing, it produces a greater

than 95% pure compound without

the colour or flavour associated with

rosemary. Taxifolin, also known as

dihydroquercetin, is a potent lipidsoluble

antioxidant found in onions,

apples and larch trees. Promising data

show that Taxifolin BC-DHQ has an

antioxidant activity similar to Trolox,

⍺-tocopherol, BHT and BHA which can

be used to extend shelf life, prevent

oxidation and preserve colour in fish

like salmon and ground meats.

Kalsec, is also targeting natural

preservation demands. The company’s

latest product launch blends traditional

antioxidant products like rosemary

BOGE Kompressoren’s scroll

compressor technology is designed

for such sensitive applications

with its Eccentric Oil-free series.

Aluminium spirals in the compressor

Nalin Amunugama, general manager,

BOGE Kompressoren Asia-Pacific


42


chamber intermesh without

touching, generating pulsation

and oil-free compressed air for

beverage manufacturing. Once the

compressors connect to a nitrogen

pressure swing adsorption (PSA)

generator, pure compressed air is

readily supplied. Nitrogen prohibits

further wine fermentation and the

formation of bacteria and mould

in the bottle, preserving the high

quality and taste even over a lengthy

ageing process. In applications like

decanting wine, this is advantageous.

COLD PRESERVATION AND HPP

In recent years, the food and beverage

industry has experienced a notable

change in consumer demand for

fresh, healthy and natural products,

without the use of harmful additives

for preservation. Notably, the

COVID-19 pandemic has also upended

the cold chain logistics sector with

massive changes in operations, supply

chains and regulations. In South East

Asia, the growing urban population

and changing consumer perception

have boosted refrigerated storage

and transport. As the distribution of

food products shifts from traditional

markets to supermarkets and

convenience stores, many consumers

are becoming more discriminating

with their food purchases in terms

of naturalness and degree of

processing. With meat and poultry,

shoppers are drawn to fresh-frozen

raw poultry, minimally processed

prepared frozen or RTE meals and

meats with natural, organic or freefrom

claims and longer shelf life.

Many of us are familiar with hummus,

a light-yellow paste that is often

used as a dip. It is also popular

among those seeking healthier

alternatives. Unlike most brands

that blend their hummus while

the chickpeas are still hot, Ithaca

Hummus cools the chickpeas and

blends their hummus cold to keep

the ingredients fresh. As one of

America's fastest-growing hummus

brands, the company uses fresh

ingredients, such as cold-pressed

lemon juice and fresh garlic, in

conjunction with high pressure

processing (HPP), a cold preservation

method to maintain the freshness

and home-made characteristics,

without the need for heat. HPP

helps to eliminate acidifiers and

preservatives, extend the shelf

life of the products, inactivate

pathogenic bacteria responsible for

spoilage, and reduce food waste.

The company has added several

flavours to their range, including

dill pickle-flavoured hummus.

PRESERVING THE FUTURE

As developers progress with creating

naturally preserved products that

are comparable to conventionally

preserved foods, a better

understanding of the shelf-life

expectations of naturally preserved

foods will be paramount as the

applications of natural shelf-life

extenders increase across all

food manufacturing categories.

For example, processors shifting

to plant-based and other natural

preservatives, controls during

shipment and storage will be

required to maintain the integrity

of finished products, as some

natural preservatives are more

susceptible to temperature and

environmental fluctuations.

Just as important is the need for

increased consumer education

around the capabilities and

shortcomings of clean-label

preservatives and shelf-life

extenders. Today’s consumers are

savvy and they value brands that

meet their labelling desires upfront,

with no surprises or gimmicks.

“All it takes is a few taps on a

smartphone to figure out if a

food product is clean. Food

manufacturers and processors

have to overcome the challenge

to meet the growing consumer

demand for natural and cleanlabel

products — without

sacrificing the finished products’

flavour, appearance or shelf life,”

Amunugama reiterated. FBA



Efficient operating processes

give dairy packaging a

sustainable impact

By Daniel Pereira, equipment and material qualification engineer at Synerlink

Plastic packaging has become

the focus of global sustainability

conversations. Although packaged

food is essential in our busy world,

single-use plastic packaging is an

area of opportunity for communities

working to reduce solid waste

and preserve marine ecologies.

Consumers are calling for solutions

that reduce and reuse plastics

without forfeiting food safety and

convenience. Individual countries

and localities are passing laws and

regulations designed to reduce

plastic waste, promote recycling,

and build demand for recycled

plastics. As a result, many packagers

need alternatives to the materials

they have traditionally relied upon.

Fortunately, a better yoghurt cup

could lead the way for EU food

packagers to reduce plastic use and

make products more recyclable —

and the materials and technology

are already widely available. As

packagers look for solutions that

will meet disparate regulations in

different countries, form fill seal

(FFS) machines with polyethylene

terephthalate (PET) plastics are

emerging as effective options.

FFS AND PET CAN MEET NEW

RECYCLING STANDARDS

In late 2020, the UK banned certain

plastics and single-use plastic

items to reduce the amount of

plastic that ends up in landfills

and oceans. In summer 2021,

the EU implemented its plastic

restrictions, and by April 2022,

the UK will tax plastic packaging

that contains less than 30%

recycled material. Demand for

packaging that is recyclable

and, in some cases, recycled, can

be expected to continue growing.

The ideal solution, in which all

plastics can be recycled, is not yet

supported by the recycling chain. In

Europe, dairy products are currently

mainly packed in polystyrene (PS).

Some plastics are destroyed by

current recycling processes. Other

packaging processes sandwich plastics

between layers of other materials,

rendering them non-recyclable.

PET packaging is currently a plastic

in the EU that can be recycled back

into food-grade plastic packaging. In

France, a chemical recycling channel is

under construction for polystyrene PS.

Synerlink, which specialises in form

fill seal (FFS) technology, has been

manufacturing FFS machines for


44


years that work with PET, PP, PP-

EVOH-PP and other recyclable and

recycled products. For packagers

looking to close the loop on truly

recyclable food packaging, FFS

systems offer the opportunity to

switch to PET plastics and meet

new packaging standards while

leveraging existing technologies.

FFS MACHINERY SUPPORTS

SUSTAINABILITY

Synerlink’s form-fill-seal machines

convert plastic film into customformed

cups, fill them with the

product, seal the packages and

cut the packages to order. They

are designed to allow packagers

the ability to customise materials,

package shapes, lid designs,

labels and more at high speeds.

However, FFS machines can

also support companies that

want to reduce their carbon

footprint and cut plastic waste.

• FFS machines already use

recyclable materials: FFS

machines can adapt to PET,

PLA, rPET and other recyclable

plastics, allowing companies to

switch to the best solution for

each product or target market.

• PET cups require less material:

PET cups can be made with

thinner walls than other plastics,

which means PET cups can be

produced using less material.

Less plastic going into the cup

means less waste to manage.

THE PUBLIC RECYCLING

CHAIN IS THE MISSING

SUSTAINABILITY LINK

Closing the recycling loop will

require having plastic collected,

sorted, recycled, and re-used

post-consumer, and today’s waste

management systems are not built

to that standard. Getting the right

materials into the right recycling

loop will involve cooperation

between packaging producers and

waste management systems. Some

producers who do not currently

need a new packaging solution are

working with their communities to

build a better recycling environment.

FUTURE OF SUSTAINABLE PET

PACKAGING

The current regulatory uncertainty

can leave packagers with questions.

Does it make sense to choose a

solution now or to wait for further

developments? Do we gamble on

new technology or make new use of

proven technology? Some answers

depend on the customer and the

market. However, the advantages

of FFS with PET are clear. FFS

is fast, flexible, and hygienic. It

allows packagers to use earthfriendly

polymer film materials and

to create effective, eye-catching

packaging with less plastic, PET is

more transparent and sturdy, and

the material is recyclable, and it

allows packagers to create custom

packaging with thinner material.

The features of FFS and PET match

up with the efficiency needs of

customers and the sustainability

needs of consumers, creating a

solution with staying power. And

there are additional benefits to

adapting sooner rather than later.

Packagers face both a challenge

and an opportunity to make different

choices. Companies that reduce

post-consumer waste and contribute

to a circular economy for plastics

will have a distinct advantage over

those who delay. Many single-use

plastics are already banned in the

United Kingdom and throughout the

European Union, and restrictions

are being added by communities

worldwide. Consumers are becoming

more sensitive to their own carbon

footprint and are better educated

about the impact of their purchasing

decisions. Customers who want to

enhance the sustainability of their

supply chains and their product

lifecycles will prefer vendors that

support those goals. Companies that

adopt more sustainable technologies,

like FFS with PET, can create both a

market advantage and a better world.

FBA



The balance of powder

with product inspection

solutions

As a manufacturer of goods from rice to soup mixes and sugar sachets,

flexibility and quality are Rex Pak’s priorities to meet consumers’

expectations for packaged, dry-powder products.

Founded by Louis Sabatini in 1973, Rex Pak is

a Canadian co-packer of dry powder goods.

The company produces everything from rice

and pasta to cheese and soup mixes, as well

as sugar and sugar-substitute sachets.

“There is a 60% chance that if you open

up your cupboards, you're going to find a

nationally-branded product in there that was

packaged by us,” explained Denise Sabatini

Fuina, vice-president of operations for Rex

Pak who manages the day-to-day operations

with her brother, Devin Sabatini, who helms

the role as vice-president of manufacturing.

The past 10 years have seen many consumerpackaged

goods (CPG) brand-owners

increasing delegation of their manufacturing

functions to companies like Rex Pak.

“Prior to that most of the major brand-owners

employed their own packaging division

at their own plant,” explained Sabatini.

bulk products to the exacting standards

of its many national brand-owning

customers as a key core competency.

FLEXIBILITY IS KEY

Serving customers in the ever-changing

food industry requires a lot of flexibility

from its co-packing business partners in

order to keep brand owners happy and

ready to respond quickly to new trends.

“This is why we provide such

a wide range of options,”

said Sabatini, stressing

the company’s priority of

meeting customers'

specifications and

ensuring that

consumers receive

the safest, highestquality

finished

product possible.

“Our quality assurance team performs rigorous

tests on all in-house blending and finished

goods as per our customers' specifications."

“Over the years there have been instances

where our customers have given us

specific requirements regarding

what they need for food safety

assurance and compliance,”

Co-packers have been manufacturing

and packaging a wide range of branded

products and sending them complete to the

customers’ distribution centre for them.

“This development has allowed Rex Pak

to become a market leader in the dry

powder segment, allowing us to grow our

business by leaps and bounds over the

past few years,” explained Sabatini Fuina,

referring to the company’s experience in

custom blending of powdered and dry


46


The X36 x-ray units, along with the X33

x-ray system, can each run at speeds

up to 250ft per minute as standard or

up to a rate of 450fpm on the X36 with

a different conveyor configuration. The

actual running speed is limited only by the

product handling and rejection speeds.

Sabatini added, noting the plant has reccently

updated its HACCP (Hazard Analysis and

Critical Control Points) and the SQF (Safe

Quality Food Institute) Level 2 certifications.

LABORATORY EQUIPMENT

SOLUTIONS

Rex Pak currently uses Mettler-Toledo’s

Titrator Excellence T5 system to conduct

a chemical analysis to identify the

concentration of ingredients to meet

customers’ specifications.

The lab also employs other Mettler-Toledo

laboratory equipment such as the

SmartSample Flexibility reader, the InMotion

Flex Autosampler analysis machine, and a

model P25 printer.

PRODUCT INSPECTION SOLUTIONS

"Quality is the cornerstone," Sabatini revealed.

In addition to x-ray systems, Rex Pak also

uses additional Mettler-Toledo product

inspection technology, supplied in Canada

by Oakville-based Shawpack Systems.

On the production floor, each of the 30 lines

is equipped with Mettler-Toledo checkweighers

to weigh pouch fills. There

is also a checkweigher at the end of the

line to weigh the total weight of each

finished packed product.

"We've had nothing but great results

from using these checkweighers.

However, we're now upgrading to a

new controller — HMI (human-machine

interface)," revealed Sabatini.

“This is a major benefit to Rex Pak as they

don't have to replace complete systems, as

some of these units are highly integrated with

the existing packaging systems," explained

Larry Swift, vice-president of Shawpak. “The

upgrade will provide optimal data capture

and statistical reporting functionality that

will allow Rex Pak to track full production

data while enabling it to achieve quick ROI

(return-on-investment) by controlling all

the product trends more accurately."

Other recent capital investments in product

inspection at the plant include the installation

of three Mettler-Toledo x-ray systems,

including an X33 installed in 2013 and two

X36 models, which have been up and

running since early 2016. The systems are

used for finished product inspection of filled,

sealed and weighed bags.

“Rex Pak opted for the X33 system, running at

a mere 20W of power, due to its very low cost

of ownership,” explained Swift. Rex Pak utilises

the X36 platform on its larger products, which

is suited to handling multiple product types.

This solution gives Rex Pak complete flexibility

which is important in helping to accommodate

customer requests, as he added: “We're very

happy with these new x-ray systems, they're

very reliable, and the data they provide us

with goes a long way to fortifying our formal

product safety quality control procedures.”

Value-added features of the x-ray systems

include:

• Optimal traceability, with the units offering

full built-in due diligence and production

monitoring statistics, along with realtime

process monitoring and the ability

to save all the generated x-ray images;

• Customisable material handling solutions,

with Mettler-Toledo and Shawpak working

together to design the system to fit the

customer’s production line requirements;

• Live HMI x-ray power change, a key

factor for co-packers that allows them

to adjust the x-ray power requirements

to the product being produced without

needing a service technician;

• Data capture for food safety certification

requirements;

• Large technical service support

across the US and Canada.

Many of the package types utilised by Rex Pak

contain a metal barrier within the film, so

the only viable option for a proper safety

inspection, noted Sabatini, is to use an

industrial x-ray inspection solution.

“The x-ray systems allow us to search for a

wide range of contaminants such as small

mineral stones and other natural products,”

he explained.

“Our Mettler-Toledo equipment, from the

check weighing systems to our new x-ray

and laboratory equipment provides both

the customer and us with complete peace

of mind that only safe food is going to

go out in the market. More and more, our

customer discussions reveal a high level

of interest in having their products x-rayinspected,

and we have also had many

potential ‘would-be’ customers contact

us to ask if we have x-ray inspection units

in place. So, when the need arises to add

some more x-ray inspection systems to

our operations,” concluded Sabatini, “we

know exactly where to turn.” FBA


FIRST LOOKS 47


48

FIRST LOOKS

Amcor PowerPost

offers lighter and

greener option

Amcor Rigid Packaging has announced

the creation and launch of PowerPost. By

displacing the vacuum in the container

after filling, PowerPost technology

delivers a bottle nearly one-third lighter,

with 30% energy reduction and 30%

carbon savings over most 600ml bottles

available today. It also allows for up to

100% recycled material use and provides

an enhanced consumer experience,

preventing any spills upon opening.

PowerPost is one of the most advanced

lightweighting technology for hot-fill

beverages on the market. PowerPost

builds on Amcor’s, vacuum-absorbing

technology PowerStrap. The PowerPost

base has two key technologies: an

invertible, central post that actively

displaces vacuum, and PowerStrap, the

flexible ring surrounding the post. After

filling, the post is inverted to actively

displace vacuum inside the container and,

as the product cools down, the

surrounding ring flexes to passively

absorb any remaining vacuum.

By eliminating the vacuum panels,

PowerPost offers increased design freedom,

premium appearance and consumer

appeal, while addressing sustainability

goals. Eliminating the panels in the body

also drives operational improvements

at the fillers. Bottle labels are applied

more efficiently.

With its goal to develop all its packaging to

be recyclable, compostable or reusable by

2025, Amcor is innovating more sustainable

bottles. In the hot-fill arena, Amcor provides

the knowledge and technology for its

products.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), has rapidly

become the world’s preferred packaging

material. It is lightweight, shatterproof,

recloseable, resealable, reusable and

recyclable*.

In addition, PET bottles often have the

lowest carbon footprint, and their production

results in up to 70% less greenhouse gas

emissions than other packaging materials,

according to Amcor’s ASSET life cycle analysis.

*with existing technologies, such as

chemical recycling ■

Smurfit Kappa launches

water-resistant AquaStop paper

Smurfit Kappa has developed an innovative

and sustainable water-resistant paper.

AquaStop is part of Smurfit Kappa’s new

TechniPaper portfolio, which consists of

an array of papers designed to handle

even the most complex supply chains.

The AquaStop paper is water-resistant due

to a special coating which is added during

the manufacturing process. This coating

does not compromise the recyclability of the

product and can be recycled in the same

way as standard paper-based packaging.

AquaStop is the latest innovation in Smurfit

Kappa’s Better Planet Packaging portfolio

of products, which offer sustainable

alternatives to single-use plastics. As it is

designed to withstand exposure to water

without being damaged, it is suitable for

eCommerce packaging and packaging

for products such as flowers, detergent

and fruit and vegetables where temporary

protection against water is needed.

It is also particularly suitable for use in

humid conditions as the box remains

intact while protecting the contents,

making it a solution for the transport and

storage of refrigerated products where

there is exposure to condensation.

Lars Henriksson, vice-president of

product development at the Smurfit

Kappa paper division, said: “We are very

excited about AquaStop and believe it

is a truly revolutionary paper. We’re

expecting AquaStop to interest many of our

customers, particularly those who transport

goods in more demanding environments,

because of the peace of mind it will give

them that their products will remain in

perfect condition even if exposed to water.

“Our product development team, along

with our colleagues in Spain, have

created something very special that has

superior functionality, whilst at the same

time remaining 100% recyclable.” ■


FIRST LOOKS 49

NORD provides efficiency solutions for warehouse automation

With the growing e-commerce

sector and the demand for

greater warehouse automation

and flexible warehouse systems,

NORD DRIVESYSTEMS offers a

variety of solutions suited for

various applications and

requirements in warehouse

logistics.

NORD offers drive solutions for

warehouse logistics, managing

investment, operating and

maintenance costs. With motor

efficiency class IE4 and system

efficiency class IES2, the drive

units achieve efficiencies in the

partial load and speed range. The

latest generation IE5 permanent

magnet synchronous motors

achieve an even higher energy

efficiency and reduces the energy

consumption. The constant torque

over a wide speed range allows

for a targeted version reduction.

This minimises administrative

expenses, and streamlines

manufacturing, logistics, storage

and service processes.

THE DECENTRALISED NOR-

DAC ON FREQUENCY INVERT-

ER

The decentralised NORDAC ON

frequency inverter has been

developed for horizontal conveyor

technology requirements in

warehousing, and the NORDAC

ON+ variant for interaction with

the new IE5+ synchronous motor.

It is characterised by an integrated

Ethernet interface, and its ease of

maintenance through complete

pluggability and an extremely

compact design — providing

an economical and intelligent

plug-and-play solution for IIoT

environments. The compact, smart

frequency inverter for decentralised

use can be mounted directly on

the geared motor. It covers lower

power ranges of up to 2.2kW and

has an energy-saving function

in the partial load range. The

integrated Ethernet interface

reduces the effort for integration

into modern automation systems:

Whether for ProfiNet, EtherNet/IP

or EtherCAT, the required protocol

can be easily set via parameters.

MORE EFFICIENCY IN CON-

VEYOR TECHNOLOGY

The NORDAC FLEX SK 205E series

is also suited for applications in

warehouse logistics. The compact,

decentralised and energy-efficient

frequency inverter offers a wide

power range of up to 22kW and

enables energy savings over the

entire load range. The inverter

can be used to control standard

asynchronous motors, highefficiency

synchronous motors

and brake motors. It can be

installed close to the drive in the

field or motor-mounted. Power

and data cable connections are

available as plug-in versions.

The decentralised system enables

short motor and encoder cables

as well as short supply cables

to sensors. Encoder feedback

can be included, for example,

for position-controlled transport

systems. The large overload

capacity of the NORDAC FLEX SK

205E makes dynamic movements

with short start and stop times

or cyclic operation possible. The

integrated POSICON control enables

high precision in synchronous

and positioning applications.

MODULAR SYSTEM FOR OPTI-

MAL DRIVE SOLUTIONS

Overall, NORD provides with a

range of products in the field

of warehousing, including both

established basics and efficient

products. Users benefit from drive

solutions which ensure an optimum

system availability. The NORD

modular drive system thus enables

a compromise between investment,

operating and maintenance costs. ■

■


50

FIRST LOOKS

PLF International

unveils new PLF

Virtusinline

vacuum filler

JBT Corporation’s PLF International has

announced the launch of its new PLF Virtus

linear vacuum filler. PLF Virtus is the new

range of linear vacuum filling machines,

designed to handle a wide range of milkbased

nutritional powders including infant

formula and specialised medical nutrition.

The Virtus incorporates a new patent

pending nozzle design that delivers up

to three times higher throughput per

head than previous machines, which

reduces changeover and cleaning times,

maximises yield, and reduces operational

costs. The new range will be offered

in one, two, three, four, and six head

models, and run at speeds of up to 180

can per minute with configurable options

to meet the needs of its’ customers.

“This is a very exciting development for

us, as the higher throughputs that are

now possible mean that the Virtus is an

attractive alternative to rotary machines

currently operating up to 180 cans per

minute. The operational cost savings

on utility consumption, cleaning time,

changeover time, and maintenance that we

can achieve with Virtus are very significant.

I believe we now have the most competitive

and sustainable filler in this industry,”

said Amedeo Scapin, global director.

Compared to auger filling systems, PLF’s

vacuum filling system has no moving

parts in contact with the product,

which eliminates any risk of product

contamination, as well as the possibility

of powder breakdown during filling.

Carlos Fernandez, executive vice-president

of JBT Corporation, and president of

diversified food and health, said: “We are

thrilled to offer the cutting edge PLF Virtus

and expand on our commitment to provide

the safest and most effective technology to

our customers, ultimately providing the best

possible products to the end-consumer.” ■

Walki introduces

recyclable

materials for

frozen food

Walki has introduced a portfolio of different

materials for the frozen food market.

Walki EVO Seal and Walki Opti Seal are

recyclable paper-based packaging

intended for pillow-pouches for frozen

food. Walki EVO Seal has a dispersion

coating as barrier against water vapour

and grease while Walki Opti Seal has an

optimised PE-extrusion coating. Both

are suitable for all kind of frozen food.

The dispersion coating makes Walki EVO

Seal recyclable in the waste-paper stream

without any separation process, while

the minimised PE-coating on Walki Opti

Seal makes it suitable to be recycled with

paper with an acceptable fibre yield.

Lamibel MDO-PE is a film-based material

for pillow pouches made of reverse printed

MDO-film and solvent-free laminated with

low sealing LDPE. With the MDO technology,

the film thickness is minimised while

performance is maximised by replacing

other sorts of materials such as PP- or

PET-films. The combination of two PEfilms

makes the packaging fully recyclable

in the plastics stream. The stretched film

has better optics with higher stiffness and

mechanical properties than standard PE.

The film can also be transparent, allowing

the consumer to see the product.

Lamibel MDO-PE is an ideal material

for all type of packaging, and all kind

of frozen food like vegetables, sharpedges

seafood and bakery. Walki Pack Tray

is a board-based tray suitable for frozen

ready-made meals, designed to replace

aluminium, plastic or plastic-coated trays.

It is easy-to-fill, transport and store, and

is also the convenient choice for the

consumer as the fibre-based tray is safe

to use in microwaves and in conventional

ovens up to 220°C for up to 60 minutes.

The tray material is 100% PET free and

recyclable in the paper stream. ■


52

FIRST LOOKS

Gericke delivers

compact industrial

mixing solutions

Gericke delivers compact industrial mixing

solutions. With the new GMS Compact

and the GBM Mini Batch Blender, Gericke’s

technology can now be used for smaller

mixing volumes.

The GMS Compact Mixer brings the GMS

family to the laboratory, R&D and pilot

plant batch sizes, with useable volumes

from one to 20 litres. It uses the same

superimposed mixing tools as the bigger

GMS mixers. This allows for accurate

process and recipe development, and with

its fully industrial design it can be used for

pre-mixes or other direct process related

process steps. The GMS compact empties

completely after a batch and is therefore

preferred for frequent recipe changes.

GBM MINI BATCH BLENDER

The Gericke Mini Batch Blender is a

semi-continuous inline approach to

make continuous manufacturing suitable

GERICKE GMS Compact Mixer

for low dosage, low volume, highly potent

products. It combines advantages of the

traditional batch and true continuous

manufacturing processes to generate a

simplified system. The user chooses between

the integrated Gericke Formulation Skid GFS

or standalone equipment for early phase

development. With minimal batch sizes below

1kg and the simple control strategy related

to a batch mixing process it combines many

advantages of batch and continuous processes.

GCM CONTINUOUS MIXER

Continuous mixing systems are known for

their efficiency for large production

capacities. Gericke GCM mixers are used

for small throughputs as well. The Gericke

Continuous Mixer GCM offers the optimum

combination of radial and axial mixing

(dispersion), ensuring highest homogeneity

with low RSD. The shape, layout and

adjustment of the Gericke mixing tools

have been developed based on upon 50

years of experience in continuous mixing

and in collaboration with universities.

The residence time and the energy input

can be adjusted easily, and capacities

as low as 1kg/h are possible. ■

Mencom offers

toolless rectangular

connectors for

10,000 mating cycles

There are industrial applications that

require frequent mating cycles throughout

life such as measuring/controlling

drawer-mounted equipment, molding

control equipment, and replaceable

tools. Since the connectors of these

applications need to be connected

and disconnected several times a day,

failing to install high-performance

connectors with a sufficient mating

cycle rating could result in unstable

connections with lower reliability,

which will cost more in the long run.

Mencom offers the new Squich HNM

(high number of mating) inserts

designed to maximise ease of use

while minimising maintenance

downtime. These rectangular inserts

feature special contacts with galvanic

high-performance gold plating and

lubrication, which allow up to 10,000

mechanical mating cycles when

installed in compatible HNM enclosures.

In addition, the Squich spring clamp

technology with actuator buttons

provides not only fast and reliable

wiring, but also high resistance to

vibration from industrial applications.

The standard HNM inserts (RSH) are available

in six, 10, 16, and 24 poles, and the highdensity

versions (RDSH) are available in

nine, 18, 27, and 42 poles. The high-density

versions (RDSH) feature probing points for

multimeter measurements on each contact

and an additional coding system. ■


FIRST LOOKS 53

Thermo Scientific Dionex IonPac CS21

ion exchange column provides

food safety analysis

Thermo Fisher Scientific is providing

laboratories performing food safety

analysis with a new ion chromatography

tandem mass spectrometry (IC-MS/MS)

workflow solution for regulatory compliant,

cost-effective and reliable analysis of

quaternary ammonium pesticides (Quats).

The new Thermo Scientific Dionex IonPac

CS21-Fast-4µm ion exchange column

enables scientists to determine and

quantify the four cationic pesticides: diquat,

paraquat, mepiquat and chlormequat.

These highly polar, permanently charged

chemicals are often challenging to analyse,

and have, until now, required complex

workflows that are prone to quantitation

errors. To meet regulatory requirements

across Europe, Asia and the Americas, and

promote consumer safety, it is paramount

for food safety laboratories to reliably

determine the residue levels of these

pesticides in or on food products.

“The Dionex IonPac CS21 is the goldstandard

column for use in your Quat

determination and quantitation workflow,”

said Alexander Semyonov, global product

manager, ion chromatography mass

spectrometry, Thermo Fisher Scientific.

“Ion chromatography has an advantage

over other technologies in that it causes

fewer matrix effects, and delivers superior

retention and separation of ionic species.”

When coupled with the TSQ Altis Plus

triple quadrupole mass spectrometer,

food safety testing laboratories will

benefit from a Quat analysis that meets

regulatory requirements, while improving

laboratory productivity. IonPac CS21

and Thermo Scientific TSQ Altis Plus

triple quadrupole mass spectrometer

complement the existing Anionic Pesticide

Explorer (APX) solution from Thermo Fisher

Scientific, providing total coverage for

all polar, highly polar, ionic and ionisable

food contaminants in one IC-MS/MS

system. Together, the system and new

column can determine and quantify not

only Quats, but also glyphosate and its

metabolites, and related compounds. ■

Bruker launches minispec Droplet Size

Analyser 2.0 for food and cosmetic

applications

Bruker Corporation has launched the

minispec Droplet Size Analyser 2.0 in its

minispec nuclear magnetic resonance

(NMR) portfolio. Based on time domain

(TD)-NMR technology, this latest launch

offers a fast, accurate and non-invasive

method to support texture and stability

analysis in food and cosmetics applications.

The new solution features a new user

interface, GoScan for minispec, which

provides multimodal droplet size distribution

characterisation, and further improves

the results for unimodal distributions

where a lognormal shape is assumed.

GoScan for minispec offers user-friendly

data acquisition and processing, and a

straightforward evaluation of lognormal

and multimodal distribution results. It

provides easy experiment setup, intuitive

real-time data acquisition, and improved

data analysis. In the quality control (QC)

mode, pre-defined acquisition parameters

are provided for routine experiments and

in the R&D mode the user can further

optimise the acquisition parameters.

The minispec Droplet Size Analyser

2.0 offers improved droplet size

distribution analysis in food matrices,

giving manufacturers information about

the shelf life and textural properties

of their products. New parameters

have been added for emulsions with

unimodal distribution where a lognormal

distribution is assumed. In the

new multimodal fitting, a regularisation

technique is employed without assuming

any shape for the distribution.

Omeet Shah, senior scientist at Kraft Heinz

company, commented: “The Bruker-TD NMR

droplet size analyser with GoScan software

is an excellent tool for evaluating food

emulsions and optimising the processing

and formula parameters to achieve

consistent emulsion characteristics.”

This latest launch expands the Bruker

minispec solutions portfolio, which includes

methods for solid fat content, oil and

moisture content, and spin finish analysis. ■


54

FIRST LOOKS

New Emerson compact

controllers increase ROI

for machine builders

Emerson has announced the release

of its PACSystems RSTi-EP CPE 200

programmable automation controllers

(PAC). This new family of compact PACs

helps original equipment manufacturers

(OEM) meet customer requirements

by minimising the need for specialised

software engineering talent. CPE 200

controllers will deliver large programmable

logic controller (PLC) capability in a small,

cost-effective, IIoT-ready form factor.

To stay competitive, today’s OEM machine

builders must provide equipment that is

ready to support analytics and give end

users competitive advantage through

increased efficiency, speed and quality.

However, as builders develop innovative

solutions for material handling, life

sciences and more, they can struggle to

program and deliver machine control

systems on time and within budget with

the performance, security and flexible

connectivity customers require. The CPE

200 series solves these problems with

security-by-design, open programming

and open communications built in to

simplify connectivity to external analytics

software platforms while reducing cost

and complexity for OEMs and end users.

“Gaining competitive edge in today’s

marketplace means having the flexibility

to connect to the wide array of equipment

end users employ as part of their

proprietary processes, and supporting

secure, open connectivity to allow easy

access to on-premises and cloud-hosted

equipment, with automated alerts sent

to the kitchen staff and maintenance

personnel in the event of any deviations".

Adarsh Kumar, CEO, TagBox, said in a

statement: "All organisations dealing with

perishable foods need to be additionally

vigilant about the temperature conditions

of raw material and finished goods. For

kitchens, retail stores or warehouses,

companies are still reliant on local staff to

monitor temperature of chillers, freezers

or cold rooms manually and record it in a

register for audit purposes. This method

is prone to manual errors, data recording

gaps, data loss, or worse, data tampering.

Any quality-driven organisation should be

aiming to get automated, central controlanalytics

platforms,” said Jeff Householder,

president of Emerson’s machine automation

solutions business. “The CPE 200 series

controllers take advantage of Emerson’s

cybersecure-by-design architecture,

common programming capabilities, and

IIoT readiness to provide options currently

missing in legacy compact PLCs.”

The controllers offer open communications

through native, pre-licensed support

for OPC UA Secure and other common

industrial protocols for flexible connectivity

over high-speed Gigabit Ethernet. IEC

61131 programming languages and C,

help engineers write and run algorithms

that enable production strategies and

advanced automation technologies. ■

Rebel Foods deploys real-time cold chain

monitoring system from TAGBOX

TagBox has announced that it is providing

its AssetLens solution to Rebel Foods

for real-time temperature, door-open

and power consumption monitoring.

Uday Mahajan, senior vice-president,

engineering at Rebel Foods, said: "At Rebel

Foods we are committed to providing

our customers with a safe, consistent

and high-quality experience. A critical

element of this is maintaining all our SKUs

at the correct temperature. This is also

mandated by FSSAI, which requires us to

monitor and log the temperature of our

cold storage equipment once per day.

With Tagbox, we are able to eliminate this

manual process and achieve real-time

accurate temperature monitoring of our

tower visibility of every cold chain

asset in their portfolio. Rebel Foods has

been one such organisation and we

are excited to deploy our cold storage

monitoring system in their kitchens."

TagBox's AssetLens platform has

in-built features like live temperature

compliance score, real-time alarms

for temperature excursions, asset

on/off status and abnormal dooropen

count or duration. Additionally,

AssetLens provides analytics and

reporting modules that identify

systemic failures like high energy

consumption of assets, which could be

predictive signals for asset malfunction

or store SOP non-compliance. ■


FIRST LOOKS 55

Tetra Pak tests fibre-based barrier to

replace the aluminium layer

Incorporating these learnings, the company

is testing a new fibre-based barrier, in close

collaboration with some of its customers. A

first pilot batch of single serve packs featuring

this industry-first material are currently on shelf

for a commercial consumer test, with further

technology validation scheduled later in 2022.

Following the completion of a 15-month

commercial technology validation of a

polymer-based barrier replacing the

aluminium layer, Tetra Pak is testing a

fibre-based barrier — a first within food

carton packages distributed under

ambient conditions.

This step marks another step in the

company’s goal towards developing

an aseptic package that is fully renewable,

fully recyclable and carbon-neutral.

With a view to reducing this climate

impact, a commercial technology

validation was conducted in Japan

starting late 2020, using a polymer-based

barrier to replace the aluminium layer.

This helped to understand the value chain

implications of the change, and to quantify

the carbon footprint reduction. It also

confirmed adequate oxygen protection for

vegetable juice, while enabling increased

recycling rates in a country where

recyclers favour aluminium-free cartons.

Gilles Tisserand, vice-president of climate

and biodiversity at Tetra Pak, commented:

“Early results suggest that the package with

a fibre-based barrier will offer substantial

CO2 reduction when compared to traditional

aseptic cartons, together with comparable

shelf life and food protection properties.”

Eva Gustavsson, vice-president of materials

and package, Tetra Pak added: “To keep the

innovation engine running, we are investing

€100 million per year and will continue to do so

over the next five to 10 years to further enhance

the environmental profile of food cartons,

including the research and development of

packages that are made with a simplified material

structure and increased renewable content.” ■

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56

FIRST LOOKS

Flexicon provides

Nestlé Singapore

with flexible screw

conveyor

The Nestlé Singapore plant produces

and packages Milo drink powder in

formats including tins and easy-open,

easy-pour sachets that are formed and

filled on a high-speed rotary filler.

Upstream of the sachet filler is a metal

detector that scans the powder to identify

contaminants. Detection of a contaminant,

called a “strike”, triggers the metal detector

to divert a portion of the powder stream

into a collection bag. Workers then

inspect the rejected powder to verify

that the contaminant was removed, and

log the incident into a quality-assurance

report. This had been a cumbersome

process until a flexible screw conveyor

smoothed the flow to the metal detector.

The metal detector originally sat directly

below the surge hopper that discharged

the Milo powder via gravity through

a butterfly valve.

“When the valve opened, often one large

chunk of powder would flow through

the metal detector which wasn’t fast

enough to reject the whole chunk,” said

Sean Phua, technical engineer, Nestle

Singapore. Therefore, some portion of the

powder, and possibly the contaminant,

passed through the metal detector

and into a flexible screw conveyor

that transferred it to the sachet filler,

forcing operators to halt production.

With production halted, the operators

would run the flexible screw conveyor

in reverse to empty all the powder

in flight. Everything was then handsieved

and dissolved with water to

find the contaminant and determine

if there was a false strike. It was

messy and the interruptions reduced

packaging productivity, Phua said.

The conveyor screw is driven beyond the point of material discharge, preventing Milo drink

mix powder from contacting seals or bearings

He learned that the operation would

improve if the powder could free fall into

the metal detector in a steady stream,

but a lack of headspace made adding

a rotary valve under the surge hopper

impossible. Flexicon recommended

offsetting and raising the metal detector,

allowing room to add a new flexible

screw conveyor to feed powder to the

metal detector in a steady, controlled

flow. Flexicon Singapore provided the

new conveyor to accommodate spatial

constraints and throughput requirements.

The conveyor is 1.5m long and includes a

spiral enclosed in a 90mm diameter outer

tube made of ultra-high-molecular-weight

polyethylene. The screw ensures that the

powder does not pack, cake or separate.

The conveyor includes a 150mm diameter

inlet flange and charging adapter that

connects under the surge hopper’s

butterfly valve. From there, the powder is

transported at a 41° angle and discharges

into the metal detector through a 150mm

diameter downspout. The conveyer’s

2.2kW drive turns at a constant speed

to transport about 720kg of powder per

hour for 20 hours a day. Level sensors

at the conveyor’s inlet and discharge

are linked to the sachet filler’s controls,

enabling both units to operate in sync.

According to Phua, the new flexible

screw conveyor has streamlined the

operation: “All strikes are rejected before

the powder enters the original flexible

screw conveyor to the sachet filler,

eliminating false rejections and manual

clearing of powder from the conveyor.”

More reliable rejection boosts

productivity by increasing sachet

filler uptime and reducing incident

reporting, while conserving product. ■


FIRST LOOKS 57

Italian repro house Zincografia Empolese

installs Asahi Photoproducts CleanPrint

flexo plates

Asahi Photoproducts has reported that

Italian repro house Zincografia Empolese

has installed an Asahi AWP 4835 P

flexographic plate processor and Asahi

AWP-DEW CleanPrint water-washable

plates to its production platform. The

company, which has been in business

since 1985 and is a business unit of

ZE Group, is located in San Miniato, Italy.

Zincografia Empolese provides high

-quality flexo plates to its customers, who

produce labels, flexible and corrugated

packaging.

“Prior to acquiring our Asahi plate processor

using AWP-DEW CleanPrint plates, we

used a variety of different products,”

said Noemi Bisoli, managing partner. “We

made the switch for a number of reasons,

including the support we get from Asahi,

the faster processing time for plates in

prepress, and the reduced downtime

in the press room for plate changes or

press stops for plate cleaning at our

customer sites. We also appreciate how

sustainable the entire platemaking

process is with Asahi AWP-DEW waterwashable

plates, a factor that is more

and more important to our customers.”

Bisoli noted that the company uses a

significant amount of flexo plate material

annually, and with the new efficiencies

offered by the Asahi configuration,

expects that number to grow.

Asahi AWP CleanPrint water-washable

flexographic plates are processed

without VOC-based washout solvents,

use less energy in the production process

and deliver a faster time to press than VOC

solvent-wash plates. The ability of Asahi´s

CleanPrint water-washable flexographic

photopolymer plate technology to deliver

effective print performance results from

its engineered photopolymer chemistry

design. The water-wash technology also

features a low-surface energy plate,

resulting in fewer press stops for plate

cleaning, improved OEE in the pressroom,

and reduced press waste. In addition,

AWP-DEW CleanPrint plates deliver

precise registration and a printing balance

between highlights and solids. ■

Small plug-in energy chain from igus saves

80% assembly time

The plug-in energy chain system readychain

speed from igus connects harnessed

e-chain systems quickly and without the

use of tools. This reduces throughput times

in assembly and machine downtimes, and

also minimises planned maintenance work.

The ready-to-connect e-chain system thus

saves 80% installation time. With the new

readychain micro-speed, this is now also

possible for very small applications and

in particularly tight installation spaces.

With the readychain speed from igus, the

e-chain system can be replaced easily

and quickly, and the machine can start

operation again immediately. For very

narrow installation spaces, igus offers

the readychain micro-speed model.

At a width and inner height of 20mm each,

the readychain micro-speed is suitable for

small spaces, such as door interlocks in

machine tools. There is no need to separate

cores from the terminal strips using tools

before changing a cable, due to the fact

that the connectors are integrated in the

energy chain, and the cable is already

connected on both sides. Thus, the entire

assembly is designed to be pluggable.

The counterpart, an add-on housing with

bushing, can be flanged to the machine

housing. If a change is required, the

e-chain can be replaced using the plugin

principle without tools, knowledge, and

technicians. Any employee can perform this

task without worry of making mistakes.

The readychain micro-speed is the smallest

version of the pre-assembled, ready-to-connect

e-chain systems from igus (Image: igus)

With the readychain micro-speed,

customers receive an interface solution

meeting their needs. It is mostly

configurable and, like the larger readychain

speed, can be combined with cables

from the wide range of chainflex cables

from igus, including power cables, bus

cables, Ethernet cables and fibre optic

cables. The cables are protected from

mechanical damage with the e-chain. ■


58

FIRST LOOKS

Elopak rolls out Pure-Pak eSense: the more

environmentally friendly aseptic carton

Elopak has announced the market roll

out of the Pure-Pak eSense carton, an

aseptic carton made without an aluminium

layer. The carton is aluminium-free and

instead made with a polyolefin blend

barrier, resulting in 50% lower carbon

footprint than a standard Pure-Pak

aseptic carton, and full recyclability.

With no aluminium layer, the Pure-Pak

eSense simplifies the recycling process

as the new polyolefin structure enables

a one operation separation of the fibres

and the polyolefin layers. The polyolefin

material also does not contain value

reducing elements. Furthermore, the

carton is designed with folding crease

lines, enabling convenient recycling

while reducing food waste. The

launches aligns with Elopak’s goals

to promote a net zero circular economy

for packaging, supporting the transition

from plastic bottles to fully renewable,

low carbon cartons.

Marianne Groven, director of sustainability

at Elopak, commented: “The arrival of

the Pure-Pak eSense carton is very

significant because it extends the

environmental credentials of our cartons

to customers in our aseptic segment.”

The Pure-Pak eSense carton is suitable for

both low and high acid food and beverage

products, including milk, juice and plantbased

drinks. The innovative new barrier

replaces the aluminium layer while still

retaining the classic rigidity of a carton.

In addition to 500ml, 750ml, and 1 litre

sizes, with 1.5, 1.75 and 2 litre and USrelevant

sizes to be introduced at a later

stage; compatible aseptic caps, as well as a

cap-free easy-opening feature will also be

offered, reducing plastic consumption and

lowers the carbon footprint even further.

Customers can also opt for polyethylene

based on feedstocks from second

generation renewable sources, or a carbon

neutral version of the Pure-Pak eSense

carton, where the remaining emissions

are offset through Elopak’s verified

CarbonNeutral packaging programme. ■

SABIC launches

new upcycled LNP

ELCRIN iQ resin

made with oceanbound

plastic waste

SABIC has introduced LNP ELCRIN

WF0061BiQ resin, a material that uses

ocean-bound polyethylene terephthalate

(PET) bottles as a feed stream for chemical

upcycling into polybutylene terephthalate

(PBT) resin.

The new grade is the latest addition to SABIC’s

portfolio of LNP ELCRIN iQ materials, which

support circularity while serving as potential

drop-in replacements for virgin PBT resins.

LNP ELCRIN WF0061BiQ resin is a candidate for

consumer electronics applications such as fan

housings in computers and automotive seating,

as well as electrical connectors and enclosures.

The new LNP ELCRIN WF0061BiQ grade, a

glass fibre-reinforced PBT material, features

non-brominated, non-chlorinated flame

retardancy meeting the UL94 V0 standard

at 0.8mm and F1 rating. It also delivers heat

resistance, toughness and stiffness, and

is suited for moulding thin-wall applications

for outdoor environments such as electrical

equipment enclosures.

All LNP ELCRIN iQ materials can serve

as possible drop-in replacements for

conventional PBT to help manufacturers

increase the sustainability of end products.

SABIC’s proprietary upcycling technology,

which involves the repolymerisation,

delivers virgin-like performance properties.

“According to an internal life cycle analysis

conducted in accordance with ISO 14040/14044

protocols, LNP ELCRIN WF0061BiQ compound

can offer potential reductions of up to 14% in

carbon footprint and up to 25% in cumulative

energy demand, when compared to the

virgin PBT compound reinforced with glass

fibre,” said Darpan Parikh, Americas customer

fulfillment leader, specialties, SABIC.

In addition, the company has introduced

many different and innovative grades to the

LNP ELCRIN iQ portfolio, including glass- and

mineral-reinforced products and flameretardant

formulations. The use of recycled

glass fibre enhances the circularity of these

upcycled PBT materials. The diversity of these

formulations enables LNP ELCRIN iQ resins

to be considered for applications beyond

electrical and electronics components, such

as automotive exterior parts, healthcare

applications and personal care products. ■


60

SHOW REVIEW

Construction of the igus Campus Cologne (Image: igus)

Increased delivery capacity

and new products at

igus press conference 2022

Meeting production demands and demonstrating

technical advancements were at the top of igus’s agenda at

this year’s press conference.

At the igus Digital Annual Press

Conference 2022, the company unveiled

the latest additions in its products

and services portfolio and reviewed

its performance in the past year.

Over the course of last year, igus

recorded a turnover of €961 million,

which is 32% more than in 2020 and

a 26% increase than in 2019, as Frank

Blase, CEO of igus, elaborated: “€234

million more sales in one year, with

almost the same selling prices until

the end of the year, and everything

produced as well as sourced in-house

— we've never had that before. Our

colleagues achieved miracles, and we

were lucky to realise our investment

plans even in the weak year 2020."

This year also saw the beginning

of the implementation of the No. 1

Catalogue plan, where more than

80,000 items have since been in

stock additionally or in higher

quantities. In 15 global distribution

centres, the rate of catalogue products

shipped the same day or within 24

hours increased to at least 25%.

“That's probably why the sales

growth is almost the same across

all product lines,” Blase commented.

The online shops also experienced

improvements, where online sales

increased by 55% in 2021. He

added: “Customers need to be

able to decide immediately on the

web whether the plastic solution is


SHOW REVIEW 61

usable, and then have it delivered

quickly. That's part of the ‘easiest

company to deal with’ goal.”

500 NEW INJECTION-

MOULDING MACHINES

The war in Ukraine and the

shortages in many markets have

prompted igus to invest more in

material availability in the short

term. At the same time, the

company will invest in higher

production capacities. Since

2020, production in Cologne

has been optimised with 300

injection-moulding machines,

and a further 200 have been

ordered. Meanwhile, the new

production building in Cologne

with an additional 20,000m² of

production space is expected to

be completed in May next year.

Plans for a further expansion of the

igus Campus Cologne, for which

igus acquired adjacent areas of

20,000m², are currently in progress.

At the 35 foreign subsidiaries,

the expansions amounted to

a total area of 60,000m².

Ethernet cables and the solar-powered

EC.I condition sensor minimises

unexpected machine shutdowns.

LOW-COST AUTOMATION

Another highlight of the conference

was low-cost automation. In a

400m 2 customer testing area, the

igus team will consider all customer

requirements before offering them

the RBTXpert, a digital-human hybrid

service igus launched in 2021. The

service is available in seven countries,

with another 14 in the pipeline. Three

new online tools brought the total

of these online services to 58.

CLIMATE-NEUTRAL INITIATIVE

With a goal for climate-neutral

production by 2025 — now at 95%

in Scope 1 and 2 (greenhouse

gas protocol) — igus tackled

various projects last year.

A total of 100 older injectionmoulding

machines were replaced

with 40% more energy-efficient

models; energy management was

further optimised and an ISO

certificate for this will follow at

the end of March. Furthermore,

igus planted 15,687 trees in

23 countries. Plastic waste in

production that cannot be directly

recycled was also reduced by

21%. The global energy chain

recycling programme chainge

also grew in recent years and

was rolled out internationally.

This spring, igus presented its

first energy chain product made

from 100% recycled materials

from the chainge programme.

igus further presented over 100

other motion plastics innovations of

spring 2022 since April at the third

annual igus motion plastics show.

Blase concluded: "At the moment,

of course, we are all moved by

the plight of people at war and

the immense political struggle in

the world. But in addition to many

relief efforts, we're trying to focus

on technical progress." FBA

NEW INNOVATIONS —

HIGHER OUTPUT IN CHIP

PRODUCTION

“Novel flexible cable solutions

such as the e-skin flat are in

high demand, especially in

the booming semiconductor

industry,” said Peter Mattonet,

industry manager cleanroom at

igus. "Being able to replace a

cable in a matter of minutes is a

revolution for manufacturing, and

increases much-needed output."

At the press conference, 168

innovations were showcased,

such as the motion plastics gears

manufactured via injection moulding,

with 740 different items available

in the online shop. The igus smart

plastics business unit launched

12 new products for condition

monitoring, preventive maintenance

and IoT in 2021 alone. Combining

them with cable monitoring for

A total of 500 new injection-moulding machines are being installed at igus in Cologne, while

100 older ones have been replaced with 40% more energy-efficient models. The company

aims to achieve climate neutrality across its production lines by 2025 (Image: igus)


62

SHOW REVIEW

THAIFEX – Anuga Asia 2022

concludes with trends in the food

and beverage industry revealed

This year’s THAIFEX – Anuga Asia welcomed

over 51,535 trade visitors, both local and

international, from 111 countries between

24-28 May, at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani.

Mathias Kuepper, managing director of

Koelnmesse, said: "As a globally acclaimed

food and beverage tradeshow, THAIFEX

– Anuga Asia purposefully solves some

of these challenges by providing a

platform for creating new enterprises

to bring their goods to market, boosting

their brand and market exposure."

The hybrid event format received buildup,

remote connections, and engagement

from show-goers. Exhibitors, visitors, and

buyers also met face-to-face as the industry

moves forward towards innovation.

The 2022 "restart" brought 1,603 exhibitors

across nine halls of exhibition space

at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani, which

is more than double the number of

exhibitors present for the last event in

2020. Despite travel regulations affecting

participants from some countries, the

event attracted 6,898 international trade

visitors, especially from Malaysia, Vietnam,

Singapore, South Korea and India.

Visitor, Qurrata Ayuni, from Indonesia,

said: "THAIFEX - Anuga Asia took me on

an exciting journey into food innovation.

I particularly enjoyed exploring some of the

upcoming trends in food that we're likely to

see more of in the future, and it's been so

nice to visit in person, talk to the exhibitors

and see their products with my own eyes."

THAIFEX - Anuga Asia 2022 has also

revealed leading and emerging trends

following the show:

• Halal food: All regions have recorded a

growing trend of halal product launches

in the past five years. Halal also had the

biggest showcase at THAIFEX - Anuga

Asia showcase with 386 exhibitors.

• Sustainably produced and packaged food:

In the five years ending 2021, launches

of food and beverage using upcycled

ingredients rose at a CAGR of 63%,

compared with 20% for products using

recycled materials, 46% for products with

water-saving claims, 30% for products

carrying carbon emissions claims and

35% for palm oil-free products.

• Clean labels: Around half of consumers

globally consider the absence of additives

and use of only natural ingredients

to be at the heart of "clean" eating,

ahead of organics and sustainability.

• Plant-based food: There is an annual

growth of 46% (CAGR, 2018-2021) with

food and beverage launches with a plantbased

and premium and indulgent claim.

• Alternative protein, including edible

bugs: Two-thirds of consumers globally

state that they eat meat substitutes,

while almost a quarter (23%) consume

them at least once a day.

THAIFEX – Anuga Asia 2022 was organised

by the Department of International Trade

Promotion, Ministry of Commerce,

Thailand. Thai Chamber of Commerce

and Koelnmesse. ■


EVENTS CALENDAR

JUNE

7 – 10 FOOMA Japan

Tokyo Big Sight

Tokyo, Japan

https://foomajapan.jp/2022/english/

7 – 10 Seoul Food & Hotel 2022

KINTEX

Seoul, Korea

https://www.seoulfoodnhotel.com/main/

main.php#url

14 – 17 Korea Pack 2022

KINTEX

Seoul, Korea

https://www.koreapack.org/kor/main.asp

15 – 18 ProPak Asia

Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition

Centre (BITEC)

Bangkok, Thailand

www.propakasia.com/ppka/2021/en/index.asp

13 – 15 ANUFOOD China

Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center

Shenzhen, China

http://www.anufoodchina.com/

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

31/8 INDOPLAS, INDOPACK, INDOPRINT

Jakarta International Expo

– 3/9

Jakarta, Indonesia

https://www.indoprintpackplas.com/

JULY

7 – 8 FoodTech Qld

Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre

Queensland, Australia

www.foodtechqld.com.au/exhibit/

7 – 9 PackPlus

Pragati Maidan

New Delhi, India

https://www.packplus.in/

10 – 13 IFT Food Expo

McCormick Place

Chicago, USA

www.iftevent.org

SEPTEMBER

5 – 8 FHA Food & Beverage

Singapore Expo

Singapore

www.foodnhotelasia.com

20 – 22 Foodtech Packtech

Auckland Showgrounds

Auckland, New Zealand

www.foodtechpacktech.co.nz

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.


63

64

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

COMPANY

PAGE

Fi Asia 59

Heat and Control 01

Hiperbaric SA 55

Jungbunzlauer

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Smarten up your sweets

TayaGel ® Gellan Gum and Xanthan Gum

Vegan hydrocolloids for optimal texture in

gelatine-free desserts

Uncompromising replacement for

carrageenan in gel desserts

ERYLITE ® Erythritol

Zero calories, clean taste, great digestive

tolerance: the right choice to formulate

sugar reduced sweets and desserts

Tooth-friendly ingredient for chewing gum

Special Salts

Mineral fortification for better-for-you desserts

CITROCOAT ® N

Enhanced stability in a variety of international

sweets

NON

GMO

Project

VERI F I E D

nongmoproject.org

www.jungbunzlauer.com

Food & Beverage Asia June/July 2022

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