spotlight on natural colours - food industry … on natural colours sunley: why sugar tax leaves a...

CRISPR: a bold new future for GM foods?

SPOTLIGHTON NATURAL

COLOURS

Sunley: why sugar tax leaves a bitter taste

Reporter

ITALY'S FOOD

GENIUSMix together passion,

history and perfection

Jan/Feb 2017

Reporter

WWW.HEATANDCONTROL.COM

www heatandcontrol.com

Email [email protected]

Cape Town +27 21 948 5934

CORN PRODUCTSPROCESSING SYSTEMS

From masa production to forming, toasting, conditioning, frying and seasoning, Heat and Control provides all the equipment and services required to make the highest quality corn and tortilla chips, taco shells, tostadas and tortillas.

Processing + Packaging SystemsSnack | Process Prepared | French Fry | ConveyingSeasoning + Coating | Weighing + PackagingInspection | Controls + Information

We are onWE KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH CORN

Oct16_FoodBevReporter_210x297_H&C_Corn.indd 1 8/09/2016 9:14:34 AM

features

30 Why extrusion makes so much sense

32 Time's running out for the gas smugglers

33 Remote monitoring: Ishida shows the way

35 Indirect frying provesa big winner for Montagu

7 THE GMO SAGA > Dark cloud over glyphosate > CRISPR could spark the next GM revolution

12 & 28 ITALIAN PASSION Artisanal cheese makers and razor-sharp engineers show us what it takes to make truly great products

14 SUGAR TAX BLUES Nigel Sunley tells industry to get its act together

19 FOOD SAFETY Why ISO 22000 has let us down on quality

24 NATURAL COLOUR FOCUS > How to avoid those formulation pitfalls > Are consumers ready to sacrifice the synthetics?

12

24

packaging& processing

Jan-Feb 2017CONTENTS

WWW.HEATANDCONTROL.COM

www heatandcontrol.com

Email [email protected]

Cape Town +27 21 948 5934

CORN PRODUCTSPROCESSING SYSTEMS

From masa production to forming, toasting, conditioning, frying and seasoning, Heat and Control provides all the equipment and services required to make the highest quality corn and tortilla chips, taco shells, tostadas and tortillas.

Processing + Packaging SystemsSnack | Process Prepared | French Fry | ConveyingSeasoning + Coating | Weighing + PackagingInspection | Controls + Information

We are onWE KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH CORN

Oct16_FoodBevReporter_210x297_H&C_Corn.indd 1 8/09/2016 9:14:34 AM

4 | JAN-FEB 2017 | FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER www.fbreporter.com

In this first edition of 2017 we're focusing on the issue of genetic modification. The passionate plea by

Inkatha's Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi to government on GMOs makes for some pretty disturbing reading.

The IPF leader is basically accusing government of abandoning its responsibility for the wellbeing of South Africans by failing to outlaw glyphosate - which has been found by the WHO to be "probably carcinogenic".

SA has the dubious reputation of being the world's eighth largest producer of GM crops and the only country reputed to allow its staple food (maize) to be genetically modified, so glyphosate (the main herbicide used with GM crops) is not just of passing interest - it's a critical public health concern.

So far there has been only silence from government - even the Public Protector, according to Buthelezi, ducked and dived on his call to investigate the matter.

Monsanto, whose glyphosate product Roundup is the world's No 1 selling herbicide (it recently merged with Germany's Bayer in a $66 billion deal) is so deeply embedded in SA agriculture that it's unlikely we can expect any open/honest conversation; there's just too much money, too many vested interests and too many careers/egos at stake.

Buthelezi's concerns come at the time when the GM crops are under renewed scrutiny for failing to deliver on their promises. And after the WHO

finding on glyphosate, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to recognise that the matter requires urgent, thorough, sober and independent investigation, not just another tiresome war of words between environmentalists and big farma.

Buthelezi, with the backing of the Cancer Association and Traditional Healers' Association, has now decided to take the matter to the Human Rights Council.

If his claim that glyphosate is poisoning South Africans en masse turns

out to be even partially true, it's likely to be the biggest human rights abuse in our country since apartheid.

It's hard to miss the headlines screaming 50

000 job losses looming in the poultry industry. All those dire warnings from local producers about the flood of cheap imports from Brazil and USA are, pardon the pun, coming home to roost.

Poultry Association's Kevin Lovell puts it succinctly: “There is no such thing as cheap food if you don’t have a job," adding that the jobs being lost are gone forever.

Soy bean and maize farmers (poultry is a huge consumer of these feeds) are also hugely impacted by the dumping of cheap chicken on SA.

Will Minister Rob Davies rise to the occasion and stop this madness, or will government continue to actively shed the jobs it keeps promising and failing to create?

Bruce Cohen

Endorsed by the SA Assoc of the Flavour &

Fragrance Industry.

Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations

Endorsed by SAAFoST

Publisher Bruce Cohen

[email protected]: 083 454 1857

Advertising Wendy Breakey

[email protected]: (011) 026 7311

Mobile: 083 653 8116

AdministrationAlice Osburn

[email protected]: (011) 026 8220

www.fbreporter.com

Published by AO Media2nd Floor Oakfin House

367 Oak Ave Randburg

Johannesburg

PO Box 2082Pinegowrie 2123

South Africa

Tel: (011) 026 8220

Is glyphosate now a human rights issue?

EDITORIAL

Reporter

&

Reporter

&Make sure you get every issue of Food &

Beverage Reporter delivered directly to you.Visit www.fbreporter.co.za for subscription info.

Or call Alice on (011) 026 8220

SUBSCRIBE FOR JUST R250 PER YEAR

www.fbreporter.com FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER | JAN-FEB 2017 | 5

Rapid dejuicing solutions from GEAGentle treatment. High quality. Better results.

Keep your juice drinks and smoothies healthy

and fresh with GEA’s highly efficient beverage

decanter. Cutting-edge technology from GEA

provides a rapid non-stop processing solution

for fruit- and vegetable-based drinks. Much

faster than a traditional press, efficient and her-

metically sealed, it keeps the vitamins in and the

oxygen out. Keep your production times down

and your quality up with pulp content concen-

trations which can easily be adjusted. Robust,

economical and reliable, the beverage decanter

from GEA will improve your product quality

and performance. For more information scan

the QR code or contact GEA Africa in Midrand

at 011 392 7114 or [email protected]


Your November/December edition ran an article headed “Sweet flavourant developed”, which is interesting reading. However, I am very concerned about the information given.

Firstly the term "flavourant" no longer exists! Internationally the correct term is "flavouring", and you will note that this is what appears on practically all foodstuff labels in SA, under ingredients. This is a small point, and I really would be grateful if you could use it in future to avoid confusion.

The other point is much more important, with serious ramifications. Let me share with you an information bulletin SAAFFI sent out the other day: Flavourings with Modifying Properties (FMPs)

This communication is to help users of flavourings to better understand FMPs are, and how they may be used (or not) and be declared in ingredient lists. This complex subject has been addressed by the International Organization of the Flavor Industry (IOFI). Not only have guidelines for the flavour industry been drawn up, but the information below has been issued mainly for the benefit of users of flavourings. In simple terms, FMPs can be sold as such or be used by a flavour house as part of a complete flavouring. If the use of an FMP, at the intended use-level, results in anything other than:

1. intensifying a specific flavour characteristic, for example increasing the perceived fruitiness

2. reducing specific flavour characteristics, for example reducing a metallic or astringent note of the flavouring

3. masking specific notes such as “off-notes” or bitterness4. changing the time onset and duration of the perception

of specific aspects of the flavour profile (specifically excluded are non-flavouring ingredients used as carriers or encapsulating agents for the same effect)

... then the FMP is not a flavouring, but a food additive (or flavour enhancer).

This means that it may only be used if local regulations permit its use and it must be declared correctly in the list of ingredients. It cannot be declared as a Flavouring.

If a flavour house uses an FMP as part of a complete flavouring, the “functional/technological effect” in the final foodstuff at the intended use level must be determined by the flavour house. This is done using two sensory tests with a trained expert panel:

a. If it can be shown that the flavouring + FMP results in: i. intensifying a specific flavour characteristic, for example

increasing the perceived fruitinessii. reducing specific flavour characteristics, for example

reducing a metallic or astringent note of the flavouringiii. masking specific notes such as “off-notes” or bitternessiv. changing the time onset and duration of the perception

of specific aspects of the flavour profile (specifically excluded are non-flavouring ingredients used as carriers or encapsulating agents for the same effect)

... the combination may be sold as a "flavouring".If this is not the case, the mixture must be regarded as being

"flavouring + FMP". In South African terms, it is a Compound Ingredient and the FMP (Food Additive or Flavour Enhancer) has to be declared separately from the flavouring. This in turn means that the FMP may only be used if local regulations permit its use and it must be declared correctly in the list of ingredients. It cannot be declared as a Flavouring.

The flavour house is required to keep the results of the sensory tests to justify the way they have used the FMP.

Flavour houses are asked to indicate the use of an FMP on the Technical Data Sheet, along with the recommended use-level of the flavouring and whether it is to be regarded as a Compound Ingredient.

As mentioned, this is a complex subject and SAAFFI is happy to help clarify individual queries.

It is a complex subject, but one that can so easily be used to hoodwink users of flavourings and consumers, and bring the flavouring industry into ill repute.

Kalex are not aware of the regulations that effect the type of product they are promoting, and I will try to meet with them to help put them on the right track. Sadly, they are not a SAAFFI member.

Michael GristwoodExecutive DirectorSouth African Association of the Flavour & Fragrance Industry (SAAFFI)Johannesburg

LETTERS

Is it a flavouring or food additive?

South Africa is the eighth largest producer of wine in the world with export volumes having doubled in

the past ten years. Many wine farms have now diversified into other products, with olive oil being popular as some of the equipment and machinery used in the production of wine can also be used for producing olive oil.

Bringing wine and olive oil production and supply into the spotlight will be the

focus of the newly-launched Wine and Olive Oil Suppliers Expo which take place at the CTICC in Cape Town from October 24-27 2017, co-located with the Propak Cape exhibition.

Showcasing a wide range of the latest equipment, machinery, products and services from leading local and international manufacturers and suppliers to wine farms and olive oil producers, the expo will offer an ideal marketing platform

for exhibitors. “We have been in discussion with

many wine farmers and industry suppliers in the Western Cape and they agree that a show of this nature can bring valuable benefit to these markets,” says Joshua Low, Portfolio Director, Specialised Exhibitions Montgomery.

Contact Keraysha Pillay [email protected]

Wine and Olive Oil Expo heads for Cape Town


CHECKERS GOES LOW-CARBCheckers has woken up to the surging popularity of the Banting diet and has launched an exclusive LCHF product range branded the Banting Revolution.

The extensive range (which will eventually feature over 30 Banting-friendly products) includes items like pork sausages, frozen cauliflower mash and flavoured (sugar-free) sparkling waters. The range also includes various Banting basics like a bread pre-mix, almond and coconut flours, psyllium and the sugar-free alternatives, stevia and xylitol.

For the eighth year in a row, Morgenster Estate in Somerset West has been awarded a top score in the authoritative international Flos Olei guide which assesses the world’s best olive oils. Flos Olei 2017 edition awarded Morgenster 98 points out of a possible 100 for the fourth time - only 14 producers around the world were awarded this score, Morgenster being the only South African producer among them.

As only four producers have ever reached this ongoing level of exceptional quality, Morgenster’s achievement is a real feather in the cap of SA's young olive oil industry. Owner Giulio Bertrand says: “We never stop investing in the quality of our orchards and olive oil production, employ the best consultants and send our staff to work with experts in Italy. So achieving this top score is a great reward for all our hard work.”

MORGENSTER PROVES AGAIN SAOLIVE OILS ARE WORLD CLASS

SIMONSBERG WOWS INTERNATIONALCHEESE EXPERTSParmalat's Simonsberg 6-Month Matured Gouda was a Super Gold Award winner at the recent World Cheese Awards in Spain.

Simonsberg Gouda was one of only two South African cheeses (and the only locally-produced hard cheese) to claim this accolade.

It was also the first time a Parmalat cheese has won the Super Gold Award at this prestigious annual event. The cheese is produced at the Parmalat SA (PSA) Ladismith Plant.

SUBSCRIBE FOR JUST R250 PER YEAR

Reporter

&

Make sure you get every issue of Food & Beverage Reporterdelivered directly to you.

Visit www.fbreporter.co.za forsubscription info.

Or call Alice on (011) 026 8220

PRODUCTS


WHAT CONSUMERS WANT TO KNOWClean labels are more important than ever. In the United States, the drive for clean and simple continues to expand, with nearly three-quarters of U.S. consumers finding it important to recognize the ingredients used in the products they buy.1

40% ranked “natural/all natural” as #1 in terms of appeal on the front of food or drink packaging 1

31% ranked “no artificial ingredients” as #2 in terms of appeal on the front of food or drink packaging 1

“Natural” beats “no artificial ingredients” in appeal

Reading labels front and back

40%

31%

While the majority of consumers look at front-of-pack claims, many also are interested enough to turn packages over to look for the ingredients that led to the claim—and to see if they can find other reasons to buy or not.

The ingredient list helps justify price in the minds of consumers and is of particular interest to shoppers over age 30. Ask us for additional demographic insights.

72%

64%

OF CONSUMERS USUALLY OR ALWAYS READ CLAIMS OR DESCRIPTIONS ON THE FRONT OF THE PACKAGE1

OF CONSUMERS FIND IT IMPORTANT TO HAVE A SHORT AND SIMPLE INGREDIENT LIST1

OF CONSUMERS FIND THE INGREDIENT LIST VERY IMPORTANT—ONLY PRICE AND BRANDS MATTER MORE1

OF CONSUMERS USUALLY OR ALWAYS READ CLAIMS OR DESCRIPTIONS ON THE BACK OF THE PACKAGE1

67%

76%

Yet more would switch brands for “no artificial ingredients”

58% of consumers ranked “no artificial ingredients” as the claim most likely to make them consider switching brands 1

58%

CLEAN LABELSClean labels are more important than ever. A recent survey by Ingredion Idea Labs (www.ingredion.us) found the drive for clean and simple info continues to expand as consumers increasingly study labels and look for answers they can understand.

TRENDS


Genetically-modified crops developed in the 1970s promised a revolution in food

production and an end to scarcity, but there is growing evidence that GMOs aren't meeting expectations. Now, a new biotech innovation - called CRISPR - looks set to provide a much-needed breakthrough.

Until recently, genetic modification involved the addition of foreign DNA (containing a desirable trait) to a plant’s own genetic material. Despite widespread consumer fears about these foods, GM crops have taken root in many countries, not least of all in SA, where government support of GM crops has extended to soy as well as maize, the staple food of the vast majority of the population. SA is ranked the eighth-largest producer of GM foods globally.

Have GMOs delivered on their promise? Globally, studies are showing that they have failed. They are not delivering the yields that were expected and they are not slowing the use of pesticides and herbicides, either.

An article in the New York Times last October, titled Doubts About the Promised Bounty of Genetically Modified Crops, compared a pro-GMO country (the USA) with anti-GMO Europe. And it found that since the introduction of GM crops some 20 years ago, the use of herbicides has increased in the USA and the use of pesticides hasn't dropped substantially,

as it should have done. On the other hand, in France (staunchly anti-GMO), the use of insecticides and fungicides has plumetted by 65% over the last two decades, and the use of herbicides is down by 36%.

What's more, researchers found that the weeds the farmers are trying to get rid of with herbicides and fungicides are slowly becoming resistant to these chemicals. As new herbicides are developed, a new batch of GM seeds is produced, engineered to resist the new herbicide. And on it goes. It's also worth noting that the same firms that produce the GM seeds also produce the pesticides and herbicides.

One possible solution to the diminishing returns of GM crops is the latest innovation in biotechnology called CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats). In a nutshell, it's about cutting and pasting chunks of the plant’s own DNA using an enzyme that's (called CaS9) which acts as a molecular scalpel. It works in the same way that you would use a word processor to edit a sentence.

CRISPR enables scientists to edit the DNA in crops (among other living things) and the results could include tomatoes that don't spoil so quickly or soya that's more resistant to a particular fungus.

What's significant about CRISPR is that it allows scientists to modify foods without adding potentially harmful

foreign DNA to them. CRISPR scientists believe the new technology will allow them to breed crops with desirable traits.

Consumer acceptance of CRISPR-edited foods is yet to be tested, but because it does not introduce foreign DNA into the plant, it might be more acceptable than the "frankenfoods" produced by Monsanto, Syngenta and others using the earlier GM technologies.

CRISPR is certainly an innovation to watch in 2017.

CRISPR's 1st victory: mushroomsthat refuseto go brown

The developer of a mushroom modified by CRISPR to resist browning has received a “Best of

What’s New” award from Popular Science magazine.

Continued on next page

GMOs

SEARCH / CUT / PASTECan CRISPR techology finally deliver on the GMO promise?

Bruce Cohen reports.


From previous page

Yinong Yang, professor of plant pathology in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, edited the mushroom’s genome using CRISPR-Cas9.

This method enables researchers to create crop varieties with desirable traits without introducing foreign DNA.

In April 2016, the university's Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service confirmed to Yang that the anti-browning mushroom he developed would not be subject to US Dept of Agriculture approval. The notification apparently cleared the way for the potential commercialisation of the mushroom, which is the first CRISPR-Cas9 gene-edited crop deemed to require no regulatory review by the USDA.

Yang explained that unlike most GMO crops, which receive DNA from foreign organisms such as bacteria or other plant species, his mushroom is transgene-free thanks to CRISPR-Cas9, making it exempt from USDA oversight.

“Our genome-edited mushroom has small deletions in a specific gene but contains no foreign DNA integration in

its genome,” said Yang. “Therefore, we believed that there was no scientifically valid basis to conclude that the CRISPR-edited mushroom is a regulated article based on the definition described in the regulations.”

The resulting modification can delete or replace specific DNA pieces, thereby promoting or disabling certain traits. In this case, the gene editing reduces production of a specific enzyme that causes mushrooms to turn brown.

The end product is a mushroom with

longer shelf life that resists blemishes caused by handling or mechanical harvesting — but without DNA from a foreign organism.

“This technology holds promise for precision breeding of crops with many desirable traits, such as low levels of food allergens or toxins, disease resistance, drought tolerance, and efficient nitrogen and phosphorous utilisation,” Yang said.

“These agronomic traits not only help reduce pesticide, fertiliser and water usage, but also improve food quality and safety.”

In the long run, Yang noted, CRISPR-Cas9 could change the public dialogue about GMOs.

“There’s too much divisiveness and hostility between pro- and anti-GMO camps,” he said. “I hope development of the new technology will facilitate rational and productive dialogue among diverse groups of people, with a common goal to achieve food safety, food security, and agricultural and environmental sustainability.”

Yang is continuing to improve mushroom genome editing to further optimize browning resistance and increase shelf life.

Would you eat a genetically-modified tomato that never rots because the genes that trigger its over-ripening were “snipped out” through a simple,

natural genetic process to keep it fresher for longer?Also, would the world use flour made from wheat that

is fully resistant to powdery mildew if science deployed a natural-occurring “cellular scalpel” to delete the genes responsible for this devastating disease?

We may know the simple answers to these complex questions very soon because both plants — the slow-to-rot tomato wheat fully resistant to powdery mildew — have been perfected in laboratories.

What makes CRISPR so mind-boggling is that nature, not science, is at the heart of this gene-editing tool. It was stumbled upon four years ago when Emmanuelle Charpentier, a geneticist, was studying flesh-eating bacteria.During that work she discovered one gene in one bacteria that seemed to help flesh-eating bacteria fight off invasive viruses. That unique gene, known as CRISPR, as well as the protein that enabled it, called Cas9, held the key. CRISPR seemed to keep records of past diseases in order to repel them when they reappear, just like our immune system. Moreover, the gene could use its Cas9 protein to precisely snip out a piece of DNA at any point within the genome and

then neatly stitch the ends back together..That discovery was transformative because it soon led

researchers to pair CRISPR’s programmable genetic material to target and excise any gene they wanted — or even edit out a single base pair within a gene. When researchers want to add a gene, they can use CRISPR to stitch it in between the two cut ends.

In short, CRISPR is the genetic equivalent of a global positioning system for scientists to find, change, delete, and replace genetic material.

That spectacular ability to go to the right spot on the gene to delete or add specific genetic material means that CRISPR is already being used to make crops more pest- and drought-resistant and to generate primate models for illnesses like autism and schizophrenia.

Imagine, science finally having a natural, simple tool to correct the genetic errors responsible for sickle cell anemia, muscular dystrophy and the fundamental defect associated with cystic fibrosis.

Wow, right? But Marcy Darnovsky from the Center for Genetics and Society, warns that CRISPR’s ease of use also suggests “the social dangers of creating genetically modified human beings cannot be overstated.”

Yinong Yang ... no foreign DNA

What makes CRISPR so mind-boggling?

GMOs


Make a Clear Choice

P.O. Box 7649, Halfway House, 1685 South Africa | www.sanbwa.org.za | Tel: +27 11 884 5916 | Fax: +27 86 568 4862 | [email protected]

TESTED FOR PURITY

SAFE DISTRIBUTION PRACTICES

SEAL OF QUALITY, SAFETY AND

AUTHENTICITY

AUDITED SANBWA BOTTLED WATER

STANDARD

CERTIFIED SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE WATER SOURCE

AUDITED ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

ADHERENCE TO FOOD LEGISLATION

ADHERENCE TO HYGIENIC FACTORY DESIGN AND OPERATION

ASK “WHY NOT?”

IF IT DOESN’T SAY

South Africa is the only country in the

world that allows our staple foods to be genetically modified. Why are we willing, when no one else is? And perhaps more importantly, why is no one else willing?

The IFP believes that the right to health includes the right to know what we are consuming and whether we are exposing ourselves to health risks through our diet. We have therefore followed, with growing concern, the international debate on the use of the herbicide glyphosate in the agricultural sector, as evidence has emerged that glyphosate causes cancer.

In South Africa, our staple crops like white maize and soya have been specifically engineered, through artificial genetic mutation of the plant’s DNA, to be resistant to glyphosate, so that this broad-spectrum herbicide can be sprayed from the air over commercial farms, bought over the counter by subsistence farmers, and widely used in the production of the food we eat.

Not surprisingly then, glyphosate is

found in our bread flour and maize meal.But if the World Health Organisation

has listed glyphosate as a known cancer-causing agent, why is no move being made to withdraw the use of this carcinogen in South Africa?

There is no question that cancer is a burgeoning pandemic throughout the world, and few South Africans are untouched by some form of cancer in their own family. From the human perspective, the journey through cancer is traumatic, whether or not it is fatal. From a healthcare perspective, our country’s economy is just not equipped to cope with the extent of treatment that will be needed ten or even five years from now.

It is thus not only a moral imperative that we arrest the surge of cancer, but

a financial imperative. This should be common cause within Government and amongst politicians. It is not just the domain of doctors.

For this reason, I have joined the South African Traditional Doctors' Union in their effort to mobilise an investigation

into genetically modified foods and the possible dangers their consumption poses to all our people, as well as an investigation into the pervasive use of glyphosate, which has serious implications for the health of farm workers, environmental contamination, and the health of every man, woman and child who eats food produced on our soil.

For a number of years, the IFP has urged Government to consider the health safety of genetically modified foods, particularly in respect of long-term human consumption. Unfortunately,


“Why is South Africapoisoning its people?”

Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, leader of the Inkatha

Freedom Party, has fired an angry salvo across the

bows of South Africa’s GMO sector, demanding an

inquiry into the use of the herbicide Glyphosate

in GM crops. In a hard-hitting statement, he had

this to say ...

GMOs

“


From previous page

Government has been largely unresponsive.

It is disturbing that Government has abandoned its responsibility for the wellbeing of South Africans. Considering the serious implications for our nation’s future health, I approached the Office of the Public Protector on 8 December 2015. A few days later, Advocate Madonsela responded to my written request, advising that her office would establish whether the law allows the Public Protector to investigate this matter. She indicated that once this process was completed, they would revert to me and advise me accordingly.

Having heard nothing further, on 19 February 2016 my office reminded the Public Protector’s office of my correspondence and enquired whether a determination had yet been made on whether this falls within the scope of investigation of the Public Protector. We noted that this matter had taken on added significance, as the Environmental Protection Agency in California had just taken a decision to list Glyphosate as a

known cancer-causing agent, following the lead of the WHO.

No response was received.Thus, on 7 June 2016, my office

again reminded the Public Protector’s office that a response was outstanding. We also noted that the European Union had recently refused to grant the multinational giant Monsanto a new licence for glyphosate, its flagship product.

Had we been waiting for the outcome of an investigation, I would have accepted that more time was needed. However, we were simply waiting on the outcome of a determination of whether this falls within the scope of what the Public Protector may investigate. With that in mind, the delay in response had been inordinately protracted.

While this cannot necessarily be seen as a refusal to address the issue, I felt that we needed to take the next step. Thus, on 16 September 2016 I wrote to the Chairperson and Commissioners of the South African Human Rights Commission. Together with the South African Traditional Doctors Union, we requested an urgent investigation.

The office of the CEO of the SAHRC acknowledged receipt, indicating that a representative would be in contact with my office in due course. A few days later, the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) wrote to the SAHRC supporting our request for investigation, detailing the danger posed by Glyphosate as a cancer-causing toxin.

On 17 October, a month after sending our original correspondence, we sent a reminder to the SAHRC requesting feedback on any progress. Unfortunately, another month has passed since then, and we are yet to hear back from the SAHRC as to whether they are willing investigate.

If Government is unwilling to explain why South Africa is feeding its people toxins, thus feeding the cancer pandemic, and the Public Protector is unresponsive in the face of this crisis, one would hope that the SAHRC will stand up for the right to health and life.

While we wait for a response, the IFP will keep pushing this issue into the public debate.

GMOs

Air Liquide - Enhancing the process of wine making

Air Liquide Southern AfricaTel: +2711 389 7000, IM Business Development Or contact us online at www.airliquide.co.za

There is an Air Liquide solution that is right for you.

AL1

5637

Throughout the winemaking process, wine is subjected to complex oxidation and reduction processes. Atmospheric oxygen dissolves in wine from picking to bottling, reacting either chemically or via enzymes with the numerous compounds in wine, resulting in undesirable oxidation.

Air Liquide’s approach is to manage the oxygen in the winemaking process from the vineyard to the bottling line. We offer a range of innovative gas solutions, equipment, technology and services tailored for each winery’s requirements.

Air Liquide gas applications include:• Cooling and Inerting grapes to avoid early fermentation and oxidation• Protective Atmospheres, sparging, blanketing, pressurised transfer & inerting in cellar and bottling lines

”


Story and pictures: Bruce Cohen

If ever there was a product that satisfies almost all of today's hot food trends, it’s Parmigiano Reggiano (real

Parmesan cheese). Pick any buzzword like artisanal, slow food, hand-made, natural, raw, fermented, additive-free, traditional …. and this tangy, crumbly Italian culinary masterpiece with almost 1 000 years of history behind it achieves distinction on every count.

During my visit to the Cibus Tec food processing trade show in Parma late last year (see Page XX), I was fortunate to be taken on a tour of a Parmigiano Reggiano factory to witness first-hand the traditional methods and passion that goes into making the cheese.

Parmigiano Reggiano has been produced using the same technique first developed by Benedictine monks in the 13th Century in the area between the Po River and the Appenine mountains in north-central Italy. There’s a firm local belief that what makes this richly-nutritious cheese unique is the collaboration between the milk and the cheese-maker, a sort of timeless dance of transformation.

Parmigiano Reggiano is a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) product, a European Union set of rules that guarantees both its origin and production methods and helps deter counterfeit products. The special mark affirming its traceability can only be put on a cheese that has been produced and processed

in the designated area (north of the Po River) and has been made according to precise regulations, which includes the feed eaten by the cows.

Parmigiano Reggiano is made using raw milk from cows fed on local pasture (silage is forbidden, as are any food industry by-products), and is fermented using only natural agents. It contains no additives. Because unpasteurised milk is used, EU regulations require that the milk be used quickly, so milking (twice a day) and cheese production takes place 365 days a year without exception.

It takes 16 l of milk to make 1 kg of Parmigiano Reggiano – and about 550 l to make one of the distinctive “wheels” of the famous cheese.

Parmigiano Reggiano is made by hand using age-old methods. After pouring the milk into large copper couldrons, rennet as well as whey from the previous day’s milk is

added and the temperature of the milk is raised to around 30 degrees. Then, using a large, ball-shaped whisk called a spino, the curdled milk is broken down into small granules.

Enter the master cheesemaker who now carefully increases the temperature of the liquid to expel the excess water


1000 years later, it'sstill a trend-setter ...

Above: The warmed raw milk is slowly whisked with a spino to separate the curd.

Left: The official Parmigiano Reggiano brand is applied to those cheeses that have passed inspection.

ITALY SPOTLIGHT


From previous page

from the granules, which coagulate and sink to the bottom in a compact mass.

The cheese mass is lifted out carefully on a stretcher of muslin cloth, divided into two equal parts and placed in special moulds where it will rest for a few days.

The moulds are then moved to a brine chamber and immersed in a saline bath for around three weeks before being placed in the ageing room where the cheese will develop its unique flavour and texture over the next 12-24 months. Patience is a distinctive feature of Parmigiano Reggiano – no other cheese requires us to wait this long for maturity.

After 12 months, the cheese will be inspected and certified. Certification is managed by a non-profit consortium of all the cheese houses in the region which produce Parmigiano. Approved cheeses will be branded with a distinctive oval mark guaranteeing provenance.

The best quality cheeses will be allowed to age for a further 12 months.

Parmigiano Reggiano is a poster-child of Italy’s glorious culinary tradition. No wonder, then, that the cheese is sought-after worldwide and has helped Italy affirm its status as a passionate producer of foods of the highest quality using only natural ingredients and traditional methods. It’s an enviable position to be in because consumers everywhere are clamouring for products of integrity like Parmigiano Reggiano.

ITALY SPOTLIGHT

Italian legend

ITALY'S ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE

- SEE PAGES 28 & 29

Top:. The cheese mass is carefully lifted from the copper cauldron and put into moulds.

Above: The cheeses are lowered into a brine bath where they will stay for around 30 days, allowing the salt to penetrate.

Right: Stacked in the ageing room, the cheese will mature for one-two years.


Kettle Frying Crisps

Industrial Popcorn Machine

Spice Tumbler for Crisps

Depositor

Naks Extruder

(Full Production Line)


OPINION

The proposed tax on soft drinks that is to be based on their sugar content is unquestionably currently

the main topic of debate in South African food regulatory circles. It has generated dozens of pages of comment both in support and against its implementation. Whatever the rights and wrongs, its value is certainly far from clear-cut and, to their credit, the National Treasury arranged a so-called Sugar Tax Modelling Workshop in November, which duly attracted a packed house and great deal of debate.

Firstly, all credit to the Treasury for the structure and organisation of the workshop itself. Great care was taken to ensure both sides of the debate had sufficient opportunity to present their views. A bit more discussion time would have been desirable but time was a constraint and I think the process followed was, on the whole, a fair one. The formal submissions followed fairly predictable lines, with public health academics and Department of Health representatives pushing for the tax while industry representatives attempted to pick holes in the pro-tax arguments and offer alternative voluntary initiatives.

As an attendee with observer status only, I felt, however, that a number of major concerns were not adequately addressed and that in particular very little attempt was made to adequately justify the tax as a genuinely effective tool for improving public health. Even the pro-tax brigade somewhat reluctantly acknowledge that it must be seen as part of a much broader package of measures aimed at combatting obesity and its related NCDs. Surely then the focus should be on assessing the various options in the package and focusing on the implementation of those measures that will have the most effect? Instead, government seems to have been

excessively influenced by industry-bashing academics who are obsessed with implementing a quick-fix, feel-good measure irrespective of its actual value to public health.

In my opinion, industry has not placed anywhere near sufficient focus on assessing these alternatives and quantifying their comparative benefits in developing their response to the tax proposals. It is interesting that two separate bodies have come to diametrically opposing conclusions as to the specific efficacy of tax measures. The World Health Organisation believes the tax to be highly beneficial whereas the McKinsey Global Institute regards it as largely ineffectual in relation to other potential measures. It is thus important to look at how these two bodies reached their respective conclusions

and, equally importantly, who were the persons involved in preparing the recommendations.

It would appear that the WHO report supporting taxation was put together entirely by a team of academic public health nutritionists, including a number of the loony anti-industry brigade who were so visible at the World Public Health

Nutrition Congress in Cape Town last year and on whom I commented less than favourably in a previous F&B Reporter article for their ideologically-driven approach and complete lack of practicality. Not what I would call an objective body of people – the position of the WHO on matters of this sort, starting at the top with the anti-industry rantings of their Director General Margaret Chan, is well known - and certainly not one with any real understanding of the practical behavioural issues that are so key to any anti-obesity initiative.

In contrast, the McKinsey Institute report is a truly formidable and

exceptionally well researched document with over 700 references from both academic and non-academic sources. Its key component is a “league table” of no less than 16 potential anti-obesity initiatives which ranks them according to public health impact measured in DALYs (Disability Adjusted Life Years) saved, implementation cost and, very importantly, quality of supporting scientific evidence for each.

Initiatives such as portion size control and product reformulation head the table with taxation measures languishing just above the bottom of the table. One of the authors of the report gave an impressive presentation on it at the Treasury workshop, highlighting these points and stressing the objective and unbiased nature of the process used in its compilation, thus neatly sidestepping


FLAWEDARGUMENTSAND A LACKOF REALISMAS THE SOFT DRINK SUGAR TAX BATTLE LINES

HAVE BEEN DRAWN, NIGEL SUNLEY CHALLENGES

INDUSTRY TO DROP NARROW AGENDAS AND

FOCUS ON AN EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGY


From previous page potential protests from left wing public health nutritionists that McKinsey isnothing more than an evil capitalist tool. It surprises me that industry has failed to make better use of this report in its representations.

All the more so in view of the poor quality of evidence presented by the pro-tax lobby. There was much debate at the workshop on the highly speculative and scientifically questionable paper published by the School of Public Health at Wits that forms the core of their evidence. In particular, the paper, by its own admission, is based entirely on a modelling exercise which makes some fairly sweeping assumptions about cause-and-effect of the potential tax measures.

What is quietly acknowledged but conveniently hidden under a great deal of academic rambling is that, even if the suggested sequence of behavioural and purchasing changes that the paper postulates will actually occur following introduction of the tax (which is highly debatable), the net effect on sugar intake and, ultimately, obesity incidence will be miniscule.

So why is it even on the table other than as a gesture to appease the public health lobby and generate not-insignificant revenue for government? The Institute for Race Relations has published an excellent and scientifically sound response to the Wits paper, which has unfortunately been tainted by a rather silly debate over the funding of the document concerned and the lack of transparency by the media (NOT the IRR!) in this regard. What is wrong with Coca Cola funding the IRR work? They have every right to support initiatives aimed at pushing back in a constructive fashion against unreasonable behaviour by government and the funding was fully disclosed upfront, unlike the ill-informed suggestions to the contrary made by Media 24 in particular.

Of course, the proof of the proverbial pudding is always in the eating and here again taxation measures fall short. The public health lobby point with great righteousness to Mexico as a model of a "successful" implementation of soft drink taxation. The one benefit of the Mexican initiative is that it has been in place for sufficient time for the actual quantitative effects to be observed and formally reported in in peer reviewed publications. So what do we see?

One paper reports (with apologies for slightly flawed grammar due to literal translation) that “the estimated decrease in purchases of sugary drinks ranges from 6.5 to 7 percent” but also points out that “… Calories consumed decreased by 1 percent per week”’ and also that “…It seems that so far the tax has not

had a detectable decrease in BMI. This is consistent with the small impact on calories presented above”. The paper concludes that “… the effects of the Mexican tax on calories consumed in-home are very small.”

An article published in the New Scientist, admittedly non-peer reviewed but written by the distinguished academic nutritionist Tom Sanders, titled Mexico’s Sugar Tax Was All Fizz For Very Little Pop, indicates that modelling studies in the UK suggested a potential reduction in consumption of 7.5ml of soft drink per day with a typical reduction in sugar intake of 1g per day. None of these estimates indicate any significant beneficial effect on public health yet the public health brigade continue to trumpet the Mexican initiative as a great success – a piece of sanctimonious hypocrisy if ever there was one.

So we can conclude that the only likely effect of the proposed soft drink tax will be to generate tax revenue and the debate thus moves to whether this revenue will be used constructively. In South Africa, unlike the UK proposals which specifically earmark any proceeds to public health expenditure, the Treasury has refused to ring-fence soft

drink tax for this purpose but have confined themselves to vague proposals that this will be “considered”. This has been perhaps understandably greeted by industry with considerable scepticism which will only be allayed in the event of the tax being implemented if we see a significantly increased budget allocation to public health and specifically to nutrition education at the same time.

And in the meantime, what can we do that might actually have a significant effect on the obesity problem, which is universally acknowledged but about which the debate has become so emotional and politicised? A passionate plea from Velpahi Ratshefola, chairman of BEVSA, at the Treasury workshop certainly injected a dose of practicality into the proceedings by pointing out the realities expressed so eloquently in the McKinsey report, namely that portion size control and reformulation in particular will achieve a far greater effect than taxation measures.

It is just sad that it has taken the industry so long to get its act together in this area – I have sat in numerous CGCSA meetings relating to anti-obesity initiatives in the last three years in particular and despaired at their inability to speedily put together constructive proposals in this area due to interventions by arrogant and often ill-informed representatives of individual companies pushing their own agendas instead of agreeing to make some reasonable concessions for the benefit of the industry as a whole – my heart bleeds for the CGCSA people who have been trying to achieve consensus and demonstrate tangible non-competitive commitments to public health initiatives.

The industry has simply not been sufficiently pro-active in this area and has played into the hands of ideologically driven public health activists who have managed to more effectively get the ear of government, hence the frankly pointless (other than as revenue generators) tax proposals we now have on the table. The answer is surely to focus on those areas for which there is sufficient evidence that we will see actual beneficial effects – and the McKinsey report is unquestionably the best tool for this purpose. How about it everyone?

Nigel Sunley is a technical and regulatory consultant to the food industry. The views

expressed are entirely his own.

OPINION

What is quietly acknowledged but

conveniently hidden under a great deal of academic

rambling is that ... the net effect (of the tax) on sugar

intake and, ultimately, obesity incidence, will be

miniscule.


In a world of anonymous, industrialised production, innovative food companies are

recognising the importance of connecting directly with consumers to deepen the appeal of their products by creating brand experiences.

Late last year, Clover unveiled its R40-million Visitors Centre in Clayville, Midrand. The state-of-the-art green facility will officially open to the public in February and will give visitors insights into the company’s bottling and packaging activities while also providing a product tasting experience.

At the launch, Johann Vorster, Clover CEO, said the centre was the culmination of a two-year process that started with a "vision to share the magic of our industry with the public at large. We look forward to providing an educational experience to our visitors by bringing the story of dairy and of Clover to life.”

The centre allows guests to experience Clover’s milk and beverage bottling and packaging facility via group educational run twice a day, four days a week.

Clover’s Clayville facility is one of the group’s major hubs for both dairy products and beverages and employs 1 600 people. In addition to the new centre, the complex is home

to one of the company's key manufacturing, warehousing and distribution centre.

“The Clover Visitors Centre, like all the facilities on the Clayville site, is designed with great emphasis on sustainability and this is reflected by our exceptional performance in terms of electricity and water usage. Clover’s continuous improvement approach, based on our Way Better philosophy, seeks to improve on these statistics continuously,” added

Vorster.Clover Industries: +27 (0) 11 471 1702

Clover getscloser to its customers

MARKETING

DICE CRUMBLE SHRED STRIPSLICE

CUTTING EDGEProducing exact shreds to minimise waste and maximise profits.

delivering targeted

cutting solutions

The Global Leader in Food Cu�ng Technology

® Urschel & The Global Leader in Food Cutting Technologyare registered trademarks of Urschel Laboratories, Inc. USA.

Exclusive [email protected] Town +27 21 9485934

F&B Reporter_Urschel_148w x 210h_Jan17_Concept.indd 1 9/01/2017 2:42:13 PM

0

5

25

75

95

100

www.foodfocus.co.za

www.foodfocus.co.za


By Linda Jackson

When ISO 22000, the international standard for food safety, was published in

2005 there was a positive and a negative outcome to this historic event.

It marked a watershed in the harmonisation of food safety standards and a new era in the development of HACCP; but had a negative impact on quality management standards. Though probably unintentional, the misconception was created that THIS was the definitive standard for the food industry and any other management system standard was inferior or superfluous.

Adding to the confusion, statements were made during the launch of the standard, that ISO 22000 was to ‘replace’ ISO 9001 in the food industry. Furthermore, the misunderstanding that Regulation 908 (the infamous HACCP regulation) was mandatory, contributed to the misconception that a Food Safety Management System was the only requirement for food companies to implement.

So to our detriment, the baby was thrown out with the bathwater, since ISO 22000 does not address quality at all. In fact, the word is not mentioned once in the standard. Given this, ISO 22000 cannot be used as a stand-alone, one-size-fits-all standard for the food industry - the quality aspect must also be addressed.

Ironically, if a food company had implemented ISO 9001 in the correct way, the customers’ requirements for a safe product would have been adequately addressed. In 2001, ISO even published ISO 15161 to assist food companies in applying ISO 9001 in the correct way and integrating the HACCP requirements.

However, the standard has since been withdrawn as it did not keep pace with developments in ISO 9001.

Retail food safety initiatives – a necessary intervention

The publication of ISO 22000 also coincided with a high point in the development of retail food safety initiatives. The volume of food safety requirements that were being forced on suppliers through a barrage of audits raised the profile of food safety for food manufacturers in the worst possible way, through failed audits and horror stories whispered in the passages of retailers.

The promulgation of the Consumer Protection Act shortly thereafter, with the threat of increased liability, spurred on the frenzied pursuit of a fail-safe food safety management system. The deluge of recalls in the USA and Europe only served to underlined the need for such a system.

Many companies employed food safety coordinators or food safety team leaders in preference (or at least in addition) to quality managers. Food safety training far exceeded quality training and quality consultants had to quickly learn new skills to support their food clients.

A major travesty of the time was the development of multiple systems to meet multiple customer requirements. Common sense seldom prevailed, and it was normal to see separate quality and food safety management systems,

instead of integration of the systems from the outset.

Having surfed this food safety wave, I could see the many loopholes in the quality management systems of the time. Quality is negotiable - but food safety is NOT. One cannot simply issue a ‘concession’ for too much Salmonella. Legal requirements are mandatory, NOT discretionary. The ISO 9001 standard was not inadequate, but at that time food safety requirements were often implied but not stated, thus were not receiving adequate emphasis in many quality management systems. Food safety requirements have come a long way and are now communicated explicitly, for this precise reason.

What are the customers’requirements?

Food safety is so fundamental to requirements that it almost goes without saying. We should not underestimate the implicit level of trust consumers place in food manufacturers to produce food that will not cause harm. This alone should continually convict us to do the right thing – every day, without compromise.

The efforts spent on food safety in the last decade are commendable and

Continued on Page 22

COMPLIANCE

ISO 22000: It's a win forsafety but a loss for quality

“Compliance is taught, not caught.”

Food & Beverage Reporter has partnered with Food Focus to bring you enhanced coverage of food safety/compliance

issues. Launched last year, Food Focus addresses the full range of compliance factors which South African food businesses have to face,

including occupational health and safety hazards, environmental demands and corporate social responsibility.

Find out more at www.foodfocus.co.za


GLOBALG.A.P. Fruit & Vegetables Workshop: Changes from v4 to v5

Course Objective: Recent changes to the Standard: Inspection Timing; Risk Assessments; Overview of amendments and additions. NEW! Online GLOBALG.A.P. training use the following link: http://elearnconnect.com/courses/food-safety-globalg-a-p-certification-course/

9 February Stellenbosch20 February Fort Beaufort22 February Patensie7 March Citrusdal16 March Tzaneen17 May Gauteng6 June Langkloof4 August Kakamas31 August Stellenbosch5 September Vredendal7 September Aussenkehr27 September De Doorns28 September Grabouw11 October Riebeek Kasteel19 October Nelspruit24 October Worcester25 October Ceres

GLOBALG.A.P. Fruit & Vegetables version 5

Course Objective: Recent changes to the Standard; General Regulations related to registration, audit timing and compliance rules; Interpretation of the Compliance Criteria

and Annexes; Risk Assessments 6-7 February Stellenbosch23-24 February Kirkwood13-14 March Tzaneen15-16 May Gauteng1-2 August Kakamas28-29 August Stellenbosch16-17 October Nelspruit21-22 November Stellenbosch

Allergen Training

Course Objective: Background of food allergens; Food labelling legislation and allergens; Practical allergen management; Testing for validation and verification; Allergens cleaning validation & verification; Allergen risk Management; Crisis management 1-2 February Stellenbosch

BRC Food Issue 7:Understanding the Requirement

Course Objective: Format of the Standard; Understanding and Implementing of Issue 7; The audit protocol; Preparing for BRC Certification; Understanding BRC Participate; Use of the BRC Directory 23-24 February Stellenbosch30-31 March Gauteng

2017TRAINING

PROGRAMMEWe offer training in GLOBALG.A.P., HACCP, ISO 22000,

FSSC, BRC and Internal Auditing.


CONSULTING & TECHNICAL SERVICES

At NSF, our aim is to add value to your business through the effective and expert management of technical activities.

We offer a range of integrated support services for the food and drink industries operating across the supply chain and through to retail outlets.

NSF International works closely with clients to deliver bespoke, integrated or standalone solutions including the following:Supplier Compliance Software Supply Chain Assurance Trading Law Retail & QSR Inspections Crisis Response Recall Plan Review Specification Management

ASSURED FOOD SAFETY

NSF provides assurance through independent audits as well as accredited industry-recognised certification, supplemented

by approved public training in global food standards.

CERTIFICATION

GLOBALG.A.P localg.a.p. LEAF MarqueNurture HACCP SIZA Ethical BRC Food BRC Packaging BRC Distribution BRC Brokers IFS Food IFS Broker FSSC 22000 SANBWA ISO 22000 ISO 14000 OHSAS 18001 GFSI MCB

CONTACT NSF

Call: +27 (0) 21 880 2024 Fax: +27 (0) 86 519 0005Email: [email protected] Visit: www.nsfafrica.com

4-5 April Stellenbosch9-10 May Gauteng6-7 June Tzaneen25-26 July Stellenbosch24-25 August Tzaneen7-8 September Stellenbosch

BRC Food Issue 6 to 7 ConversionCourse Objective: Changes to the Standard & Audit Protocol; Implementing the changes to the requirements; Additional Voluntary Modules; Understanding BRC Participate; Use of the BRC Directory

22 February Stellenbosch29 March Gauteng3 April Stellenbosch8 May Gauteng5 June Tzaneen24 July Stellenbosch23 August Tzaneen6 September Stellenbosch

ISO 22000:2005Course Objective: Concept of a Food Safety Management System; Principles, format and requirements of ISO 22000ISO 22000 – Principles and format of the Standard for Food Safety

13-14 February Gauteng13-14 March Stellenbosch19-20 June Gauteng16-17 October Stellenbosch

FSSC 22000

Course Objective: Principles and format of the Standard; Review and interpretation of ISO 22000 and FSSC 22000 requirements; Application of ISO/TS 22002

13-15 February Gauteng13-15 March Stellenbosch19-21 June Gauteng16-18 October Stellenbosch

Internal Auditor

Course Objective: Selecting an Internal Auditor; skills & techniques; Audit planning; Report writing; NC classification; Handling corrective actions; Root Cause Analysis 22 February Stellenbosch29 March Gauteng23 August Tzaneen6 September Stellenbosch

HACCP: Intermediate Level

Course Objective: Food Safety Hazards; Responsibilities of the HACCP team; 12 Steps & 7 Principles of a HACCP system; Hazard Identification; Hazard & Risk Analysis; Control of hazards; CCP control; Verification & Validation

20-21 February Stellenbosch6-7 March Stellenbosch27-28 March Gauteng3-4 July Gauteng21-22 August Tzaneen4-5 September Stellenbosch


From Page 19necessary, but we should not lose sight of the fact that consumers also want to enjoy their food, which brings additional quality requirements into play.

A review of any final product specification will highlight a higher ratio of quality requirements to food safety requirements. The Consumer Protection Act gives equal weighting to quality and safety by granting consumers’ rights to products in good quality, in safe working condition and free of defect. Products must comply with the Standards Act No 29 of 1993 or any other pertinent law.

Analysis of customer complaints also confirms that there are far more quality complaints than food safety complaints, which underlines the need to address quality. This does not mean that food safety measures are perfect - let us not be naïve - our national food safety complaint reporting structure does not allow us to see the full picture regarding the impact of food safety on public health. A glance at the Stats SA cause of death reports tells another story, but that is the subject of another article.

So, what’s next?

It would be unfair to say that South African food companies do not value the importance of quality or satisfying the customers’ requirements. Nor do we need another audit for the sake of it. But we do need to make more effort to keep our customers satisfied and to continually improve.

It is time to re-embrace ISO 9001 and to formalise quality initiatives to ensure consumer satisfaction. Our use of the purist approach of ISO has might not been the most beneficial - perhaps we should have taken a leaf out of our British, French and Australian (and now American) cousins’ books. The BRC, IFS and SQF standards, as GFSI benchmarked standards, all include quality management requirements - they are compound standards, two for the price of one. To achieve the same outcome, you would need to implement ISO 22000 and ISO 9001, FSSC 22000 and FSSC 22000Q, or FSSC 22000 and ISO 9001.

ISO published the latest version of ISO 9001 in 2015 and it offers significant benefits to food manufacturing companies. The first is the possibility for true integration of management

systems. The new high level structure of management systems standards demands the same layout and compulsory text, regardless of the discipline. The draft ISO 22000 due in 2018 will follow this structure.

The new requirements of ISO 9001 take quality back to the boardroom. Senior management commitment and involvement, or the lack thereof, is often the complaint of many food safety teams. The new version of ISO 22000 will have a similar strategic shift and senior management will need to practice risk management daily. This increased focus, both in quality and food safety standards, will hopefully go a long way to ensuring buy-in and practical workable systems, not the bolt-on versions that we use now which require a clean-up prior to the audit.

Popular quality definitions include ‘doing things right the first time’. A quality management system should address process inefficiencies, costly rework and other costs associated with NOT getting it right the first time. This objective is sure to sit better with the bean counters and

with customers, who also measure the effectiveness of our systems.

To help get it right the first time, ISO have also just published a new technical specification called ISO/TS 9002, Guidelines for the Application of ISO 9001:2015. This gives clause-by-clause guidance to enable users (regardless of the size of the organization) to implement their own quality management system. Unlike the ISO 22000 technical standards, ISO/TS 9002 does not provide any additional requirements, but gives examples of what organizations can do to apply the clauses of ISO 9001 most effectively.

Producing a quality product is essential to any growth strategy – it simply makes a lot of sense if we want to satisfy our customers and make as much money as possible. To ensure this, we also need to protect our reputation and the health of the consumer – they are not opposing strategies but complementary ones.

Let 2017 be your year to do things the right way.

COMPLIANCE

THE STANDARDS LANDSCAPE:WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2017 FSSC 22000: Version 4 was published in December 2016. Based on the experience in applying version 3 and the expectations of major stakeholders, FSSC 22000 has resulted in several major changes to improve consistency and stringency.

ISO 22000: ISO is revising this standard, which is due for publication in 2018. The first draft will be available early in 2017. ISO have given some clues as to what to expect from the standard and there are no surprises, given the recent developments in ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.

ISO 22004: 2014: This is finally being adopted as a South African standard – SANS 22004:2016. This is a guidance document, not an auditable standard, but it still provides useful information on the interpretation of the requirements. It is a revision of the original document which was published in 2005.

ISO 20400: A new standard in development is ISO 20400: Sustainable Procurement — Guidance, for organisations wanting to integrate sustainability into their procurement processes. It is in second Draft International Standard stage, so interested parties can still submit feedback on the draft before final publication in 2017.

SANS 10049: This PRP standard is up for revision and the draft was published for comment late 2015. The new version will include some rationalisation of duplication and a few new requirements such as food defence. High risk requirements are also no longer an annex.

SANS 10330: The national HACCP standard has long been under review. The last revision of the standard in 2006/7 was after the publication of ISO 22000, the international food safety standard. The decision was taken to retain the standard as a stepping stone for companies progressing towards international certification. The draft document will be available for public comment early in 2017.


Inquiries/bookings: www.saaffi.co.za


COLOUR ME NATURAL

TRENDS

Across the world, consumers are sending a powerful message to manufacturers that they want the colours in their food and drink products to be natural.

According to Nielsen’s August 2016 report on ingredient trends, 61% of consumers internationally say they try to avoid artificial colours. In Europe, the number of new products with natural colourants grew by 5.6% in 2015, compared to a decline of 5.2% for artificial colours.

Lycored has commissioned both quantitative and qualitative research to measure the extent to which consumers value natural colours – specifically in flavoured milks – and the implications of their preferences for manufacturers.

First, an online poll of 506 health-conscious US mothers was carried out. They were shown three samples of strawberry flavor milk – two coloured naturally with two reds from Lycored’s Tomat-O-Red ™ range and one artificially with Red 3 (erythrosine). The respondents were then asked for their impressions of appearance, including taste impression and flavor association. The researchers also asked pricing questions to assess whether there was any willingness to pay more for a naturally coloured product.

When asked directly “Would you be willing to pay more for a product with natural flavourings and colours?” almost nine in ten survey respondents (88%) said they would. They were then told that the average flavoured milk beverage costs US$1.50 and asked how much they would be willing to spend on a product if it was made with natural ingredients. On average they said they would pay up to $2.20 – 47% more.

We also commissioned qualitative research which explored reactions to the same three coloured milk options among opinion-leading, on-trend consumers. Comments on the natural samples included: “Looks the most natural to a blended strawberry, therefore potentially most healthy for my children”;

“Reminds me of a drink from my childhood…and more likely to appear in nature”; and “more attractive to the mom in me. I believe it looks like it has less artificial ingredients in it”.

There was a clear “feel-good factor” from buying children a product that looked like something they would make in their home, with both the naturally coloured samples associated with smoothies or other home-made items. Comments included “Looks like a smoothie so this one looks like something I would purchase for my kids.”

Feedback on the artificially coloured sample, however, indicated that consumers are turning away from non-natural colours that are too vibrant. Comments included: “Brighter or more neon-looking colours seem unnatural in appearance, and tells me as a mother that they also probably have unnatural and unhealthy ingredients as well.” It was also described as looking “neon” or “fluorescent”.

Furthermore, Lycored’s natural colours are highly resilient. When we tested the stability of the same Tomat-O-Red ™ in UHT conditions, they outperformed the artificial colour across all tests.

Our research offers two very clear conclusions. First: consumers find natural colours more visually appealing. Second: their preference for naturally coloured products is so powerful that they will pay significantly more for them. Given that artificial colours can easily be replaced with natural options the opportunities are clear. A switch to natural will resonate with shoppers, give products a fresher and more positive brand positioning, and enable higher pricing.

> Lycored’s Tomat-O-Red ™ range offers manufacturers natural red colourants derived from lycopene from tomatoes. In a recent trial exposing them to temperature extremes and other dairy manufacture conditions Tomat-O-Red ™ colours outperformed artificial alternatives.

Lycored is represented in SA by SK Chemtrade Services Pty LtdJHB: (011) 974 1124 and CPT (021) 551 [email protected]

GLOBAL CONSUMERS ARE SHOWING AN INCREASING PREFERENCE - AND ARE WILLING

TO PAY A PREMIUM - FOR FOODS COLOURED NATURALLY

By Christiane Lippert,

Head of Marketing

(Food) at Lycored


Researcher M.Y. KAMATAR

looks at the opportunities

and challenges of

formulating with natural

colours.

Consumer pressure, societal changes and technological advances in the food processing

industry have increased the overall colour market. The most significant growth has been in naturally -derived colours owing to improvements in stability as well as the industry’s efforts to meet the increasing consumer perception that “natural is best”.

Natural colours come from a variety of sources such as seeds, fruits, roots, vegetables, algae and insects. Although structurally very diversified and from a variety of sources, natural food colourants can be grouped into a few classes, the three most important of which are tetrapyrrols, tetraterpenoids and flavonoids.

The most important member of the tetrapyrrols is chlorophyll, which is found in all plants. Chlorophylls are fat-soluble pigments obtained by solvent extraction of grass material, lucerne and nettle. The principal colouring matters are the phaeophytins and magnesium chlorophylls, which are highly unstable when exposed to light. The green colour is due to the pigments chlorophyll A (blue-green) and chlorophyll B (yellow-

green), which occur together in a ratio of about 3:1.

Carotenoids are tetraterpenoids that are as ubiquitous as chlorophyll, since they too are part of the photosynthetic apparatus. They also give the yellow/orange/red colour of many fruits.

Other common plant pigments include anthocyanins and betalains (beetroot). Most research has been focused on carotenoids and anthocyanins, but betalains have recently

gained popularity in food science. Compared to anthocyanins, betalains are ideal for colouring as they maintain their colour over a wide pH – from 3 to 7.

Anthocyanins provide the red/purple shade of many fruits, in particular berries.

Another important class of colourants is the anthraquinones (carmine, lac, kermes and madder).

Caramel, another natural colour, is obtained by heating carbohydrates, alone or in the presence of food-grade acids, alkalis and/or salts, produced from commercially available, food-grade nutritive sweeteners consisting of fructose, dextrose (glucose), invert sugar, sucrose, malt syrup, molasses and/or starch hydrolysates and fractions thereof.

Potential pitfalls

When adding natural colours to foods, a number of unexpected problems can occur, unless the food

product designer is on the lookout for them. Fading is the number

one problem. The first thing to look at

is the colour stability under the usage conditions. If a dry mix contains a blend of different water-soluble colours in powder form, they may solubilise at different rates.

When the consumer expects orange in a powdered beverage, and then sees red and yellow

when water is added, she may think something is

wrong with the mix. This is known as flashing and can be

eliminated through the use of readily-available mono-blends. Adding colour during a premix

stage when the pH is out of the appropriate range, or mixing it together with acid, causes loss of colour. Ascorbic acid used for vitamin fortification creates this problem. Fading also occurs when water with a high metal ion content is used.

Colour migration can also occur outside of the product. For example,


HARMLESS HUES: HOW TO AVOID THE PITFALLS

TRENDS

This gorgeous natural colour wheel comes from Dohler, one of the world's leading

producers of natural colours


The entire fragrance and flavour fraternity in South Africa always looks forward to the SAAFFI annual

seminar and workshop. The 2017 event, the 15th such SAAFFI seminar, will be held on Thursday, 9 March at the Bytes Conference Centre in Midrand, Gauteng.

The 2017 seminar themed “Fast forward … to SLOW”, proposes to examine how important it is to press “Pause” in order to ultimately achieve more, in the fast-paced, frenetic lives we all lead.

The full-day programme features an impressive line-up of speakers, a hands-on workshop, an inspiring motivational presentation and an “experiential” networking cocktail event, where various

tastes and aromas will be showcased. The annual

SAAFFI seminar has attracted around 200 key personnel who are drawn from a wide range of companies both in the flavour & fragrance sector and from FMCG companies as well as academics, consultants, regulators, raw material suppliers and anyone interested in the fascinating world of fragrance and flavours. etc. SAAFFI, the South African Association

of the Flavour & Fragrance Industry, represents all aspects of this fascinating industry. It unites the industry across non-competitive industry issues, freeing up individual organisations to grow their business.

Bookings can be made directly on the SAAFFI website. Deadline for bookings is 24 February .

Contact:Sharon BolelSAAFFI Assistant Exec DirectorTel: +27 (0) 11 447 2757www.saaffi.co.za

Countdown to 15th annual SAAFFI seminar

From previous page

water-soluble colour leaching out of pasta during cooking. In breading systems, a portion of the colour moves into the frying oil.

Sometimes certain constituents of a product can interfere with the solubility of colours. A good example is when a flavour contains water-miscible solvents, such as alcohol or propylene glycol, which reduce the solubility of some colours. In most cases, the product affects the colour, not the other way around. But sometimes the colour alters the product.

Some natural colours, especially beet, can produce undesirable flavours if used at too high a level.

Optimising the colour

Another important detail to remember when working with natural colours is that more is not necessarily better. There comes a point of diminishing returns, where adding more colour makes a product duller instead of providing a bright, clear colour.

Optimising the colour level is basically a matter of trial and error – if a particular dosage is found to be acceptable, one can experiment with both higher and lower levels. If a 50% lower dosage rate results in the same colour hue and intensity, a significant saving results.

The experts suggest that colouring a product should become an integral

part of the development process. This way, it is easier to head off unpleasant surprises. You have to remember that colours are chemical systems too – one has to keep the basic chemical principles in mind.

There’s a lot more to adding natural colours than tossing them in at the end of the process. If food product designers pay close attention to how they work in the system, in the end they

could potentially result in a culinary masterpiece.

What does this mean going forward? In order for the use of natural colours in food products to be successful, it is important to have a complete understanding of the chemical and physical environments that exist in the products to be coloured – both during and after processing.

The capabilities and limitations of natural colours need to be taken into consideration. Instability of natural colours is one of the major limitations in the applications of these colours.

The challenge for colour suppliers lies in providing a variety of cost-effective food colours with good stability and uniform dispersion in the food matrix.

New technologies in terms of breeding and selection of high-yield strains of pigment-producing plants, micro-organisms and insects will most likely lead to the improvement in the quality and quantity of available bio-colourants.

Fermentation may offer major advantages: it is cheaper; results in easier extraction and higher yields; there is no lack of raw materials and there are no seasonal variations. Fermented colours eg spirulina are already used today. A giant leap forward in colour production could be achieved by combining genetic manipulation with fermentation. Micro-organisms could be made to produce colourants in high yield by inserting genetic coding for the colourant.

Benefits of natural food colours

> Most vegetable and fruit dyes contain polyphenols which have antioxidant qualities. Antioxidants fight free radicals. Not only do they fight cancer and heart disease, but they also prevent ageing.

> Some natural food colours are rich in bioflavonoids, which are said to prevent easy bruising, haemorrhages and other circulatory problems, and play a role in maintaining healthy capillaries. Based on several studies, bioflavonoids have the same immunity-boosting effects as vitamin C. Another potential benefit of bioflavonoids is cancer prevention.

> Highly pigmented fruits and vegetables contain disease-fighting compounds called phytonutrients, which help in protecting us from common diseases and illnesses as we age.

TRENDS


PROCESSING & PACKAGING NEWS FOR THE FOODBEV INDUSTRY

Jan-Feb 2017

INSIDE

Italian style @ Cibu-Tech

Why Verder'sall pumped up

Indirect frying's big fat benefits

Gas piratesare in trouble


ITALY SPOTLIGHT

Italian style, passion ... ... engineering excellence


Italian style, passion ... ... engineering excellenceStory and pics: Bruce Cohen

Parma is the epicenter of Italy’s food industry (think Parma ham, think Parmesan cheese)

so it’s fitting that this small but vibrant city should also host Cibus Tec, a giant food processing and technology trade fair held every three years.

Towards the end of last year, at the Fiere di Parma fairground just outside the city, over 1 200 exhibitors, the vast majority of them local, were able to showcase the very best of Italian design and engineering in the food processing arena.

Spread over five giant halls, an army of glistening

stainless steel equipment,

from blenders, mixers and

pasteurisers to entire processing

and packaging lines commanded the attention of the

35 000 or so visitors who streamed into

the Fiere di Parma. Food processing

machinery is a $5-billion a year sector

in Italy and it was like attending a food industry version of an

Italian motor show: sleek design, precision fabrication and fabulous finishing … here were the Lamborghinis, Ferraris and Maseratis of food manufacturing.

I spent three days there and it was an exhilarating if exhausting experience.

If you’re a decision-maker engaged in food production/processing, this is one fair you won’t want to miss (the next one is in 2019). Yes, the Chinese will always be cheaper, but there’s nothing quite like a showcase of Italian engineering, style and passion.

www.cibustec.it/en/

ITALY SPOTLIGHT


Baker Perkins' twin-screw extrusion technology can deliver significant savings in the production of core

ingredients for the food industry. Typical examples include breadcrumb, croutons, gluten-free bread products, modified and pre-gelatinised flours.

Marketing manager Keith Graham says that compared with traditional processes, extrusion can bring major savings in space, equipment, energy and labour; the process is also very flexible, enabling quick and easy switching between different recipes

Extrusion is hygienic and energy efficient: all the action is in the short barrel – ingredients in and product out seconds later. If it is possible to make a product with an extruder, it is almost certainly the cheapest, most efficient and most compact method for making it. Conventional processing typically involves a great deal more equipment, time and cost.

Breadcrumb is a typical example. The traditional process involves mixing, forming and baking bread before discarding the crusts and grinding. The same product can be made with no waste using only a twin-screw extruder and dryer.

Similarly for croutons: a bread-like texture can be developed in the extruder and the pieces cut to size at the die or by a post-extrusion cutter. Croutons for the ingredients market (such as soups and salads) or a crunchier variant for the snacks market can both be produced by this method with rapid changes between them.

Graham says extrusion is also an excellent way of addressing the market for gluten-free bread products as it can handle with ease the various alternative flours and starches used to make the dough. Screw profiles can be adjusted to achieve the desired characteristics much more readily than conventional processes, and it also overcomes the

problems caused by stickiness of the dough.

Extruders also bring a lot of advantages to modified and pre-gelatinised flours used in products such as instant soups, ready meals, bakery pre-mixes and infant nutrition.

The wide range of conditions that can be created in an extruder enable characteristics such as rapid and/or cold-water thickening, increased protein or fibre content, improved dispersibility and enhanced texture to be readily developed.

Other examples include soy-based high-protein crispies used in breakfast cereals, chocolate bars and snack/trail mixes to add texture and volume, and low-protein versions based on wheat or

corn; rusk for sausage fillings; and ice cream inclusions – generally cookie or biscuit based.

As well as the savings in space, equipment, energy and labour the process is also much more flexible, enabling quick and easy switching between different recipes. Extrusion systems can be expanded as a business grows or markets change to move from ingredients into production of foods such as snacks and cereals.

"Extrusion is perhaps the most versatile process available to the food industry, " says Graham. "It is capable of producing a wide range of end products from a variety of different ingredients and rapidly switching between them. It can replicate products made using other, less flexible, methods and the breadth of process options offers product developers plenty of scope for innovation."

Keith Graham Tel +44 1733 283000. [email protected] www.bakerperkins.com

Extrusion squeezes out major savings for foodbiz

TECHNOLOGY

"Extrusion is perhaps the most versatile process available to the food

industry"


GEA, global leader in high-pressure homogenizers and plunger pumps, is now offersing Niro Soavi homogenizers made in

Parma, Italy. These machines take two liquids with different

densities and turn them into one homogeneous product so they do not separate from each other. They pump the liquids through an homogenizing valve under very high pressure, which mechanically breaks the particles into similar size and density to prevent them from separating one another.

The homogenizers can be used in a very wide variety of applications, such as dairy, beverage, pharmaceutical and much more.

GEA homogenizers come in four different series:> Panda Homogenizers – these table top units are mostly used in laboratories for testing, research and development.> Pharma Skid Units – which are mostly used in the pharmaceutical industry and are sold on skids as a plug and play unit.> ONE Series Homogenizers – these are used for small to medium businesses ranging from 300 litres per hour up to 10 000 litres per hour.

> Ariete Series Homogenizers – their top-of-the-range homogenizers, used for medium to large businesses, up to 60 000 litres per hour.

GEA AfricaTel. + 27 (0) 11 392 [email protected]

TECHNOLOGY

GEA offers Italian homogenizersGEA's Ariete Series homogenizers

NICOLAS LECLOUX CMO TRUE FRUITS

2016-11-25 interpack 2017_Südafrika_True Fruits_210 x 148 + 3mm_Food and Beverage Reporter_4c_5381

PROCESSES AND PACKAGINGLEADING TRADE FAIR

Southern African - German Chamber of Commerce and Industry

47 Oxford Road _ Forest Town 2193

JOHANNESBURG

P.O. Box 87078 _ Houghton 2041

Tel. +27 (0)11 486 2775 _ Fax +27 (0)86 675 2175

[email protected] _ www.germanchamber.co.za

2016-11-25 interpack 2017_Sudafrika_True Fruits_210 x 148 + 3mm_Food and Beverage Reporter_4c_5381.indd 1 27.09.16 10:37


Companies using imported ozone- depleting HCFC refrigerants face escalating retrofit and recycling

costs and should not be tempted to use illegal alternatives.

This is the warning issued by leading industrial gases company, Afrox. It follows government's campaign to clamp down on the smuggling of ozone-depleting substances (ODSs) into South Africa, and is pouring resources into training and equipping land, air and sea ports of entry to stamp out the trade in illegal refrigerants.

Smugglers use a number of methods including concealing the nature of the material by making false claims on import documents, mis-declaring or hiding ODSs completely. Customs and enforcement officers at sea ports and land border posts have now been trained and equipped with portable ODS detection analysers. Points of entry covered include Durban, Cape Town, East London, Port Elizabeth and Beitbridge.

Last year the Dept of Environmental Affairs began training more officials to cover OR Tambo and border points at Lebombo, Kopfontein and Grobblersdal.

Afrox Product and Business Development Manager Chemicals

and Refrigerants, Nadine Baird, says: “Businesses who rely on refrigerants for their processes must face the new reality or face escalating costs for retrofitting and recycling."

One ready-to-use solution is the Forane® 427A, developed by Arkema and distributed by Afrox in SA and neighbouring countries.

Arkema’s Forane® 427A is a new 100% HFC blend offering a simplified retrofit solution for existing R22 installations across a broad spectrum of applications, from air-conditioning to medium- and low-temperature refrigeration.

Baird says it offers a similar performance to R22, has no ozone depleting potential and a GWP of only 2138 (making Forane® 427A one of the lowest GWP among R-22 retrofit available solutions) and is therefore being welcomed as a viable alternative for use in R22 equipment. It is non-toxic and non-flammable, meeting the highest A1/A1 requirement on both counts.

“While being compatible with Polyolester (POE) lubricants, Forane®

427A is also unusually tolerant of high levels of residual AB or mineral oil, up to 10% or sometimes even 15% oil

remaining after the changeover from R22,” says Baird.

“Optimal performance close to R22 can be achieved without a long and costly rinsing process of the circuit and no modification of the installation is required.

Baird says that via its relationship with Arkema, Afrox offers one of the most comprehensive range of alternative solutions on the world market. "We believe the R22 alternatives they have engineered will provide the best solution for our SA refrigerant clients.

“With the decline in virgin HCFCs being legally imported, South African users must look more closely at retrofitting machines or maintaining them with reclaimed product that has been cleaned to ARI700 specification,” says Baird. It is acceptable to use recovered and recycled HCFCs like R22 until 2039, while users make the transition to alternative gases.

She says Afrox has geared up to offer a service to purify reclaimed refrigerants by collecting used refrigerant from clients, supplying them with clean stock and then processing the used refrigerant through its proprietary refrigerant recovery and reclamation system, the ZugiBeast.

The ZugiBeast cleans refrigerant, removing water, oils, acids, sludge and particulates which build up in refrigeration systems over time.

“This value-added service outperforms any other known equipment in South Africa by a considerable margin,” says Baird. “With it we're able to treat all major refrigerants and contaminants. There is an additional benefit of improved productivity and power savings for our customers, since their machines work better on decontaminated refrigerant and cleaner heat transfer surfaces.”

[email protected]

SA's ozone-depleting gas smugglers face clampdown

ENVIRONMENT

Businesses who rely on

refrigerants for their

processes must face

the new reality or

face escalating costs

for retrofitting

and recycling

- Nadine Baird


Remote, real-time monitoring keeps things moving smoothly

TECHNOLOGY

Weighing and packing line equipment specialist Ishida Europe has introduced a

remote customer care software solution that combines machine performance monitoring with comprehensive data capture and in-depth analysis. It enables food manufacturers and packers to operate their lines to maximum performance and efficiency, and avoid unnecessary and unwanted downtime.

The new Ishida Sentinel™ software connects compatible Ishida machines, anywhere in the world, to a central system manned by Ishida engineers. This provides complete monitoring of machines, however widely distributed, with Ishida experts on hand to identify and rectify any faults or poor performance.

With a number of different Sentinel™ pack options available, customers can mix and match the different services to their needs. In addition to the monitoring and reporting pack, a variety of intervention options are also available. Customers can, for example, select live performance monitoring, with Ishida engineers keeping a continual check on their line’s performance and informing them when this drops or a fault occurs.

In this way, uptime is maximised and potential and recurring problems can be

identified early and dealt with before they become critical.

Equally important, Ishida Sentinel™ is able to produce daily or weekly reports from production line data that can be easily accessed by designated personnel. These reports enable quick and preventative actions to be taken, often without the need for an engineer call-out.

Nearly all equipment that contributes valuable information to the packing line management process can be linked into Ishida Sentinel™ including multihead weighers, checkweighers, tray sealers,

graders and bag-makers. Contact with Ishida engineers can be made by email, phone or directly using a video conferencing VOIP access feature via a webcam that is fitted to individual machines’ Remote Control Units.

In addition, the Ishida Sentinel™ Web Client facility provides instant access from any Smart phone, tablet, laptop or PC worldwide so that machine operation can be monitored at any time or place.

Ishida has incorporated a high level of security into the software design to create a fully secure, virus-immune network that ensures remote access can only be performed by authorised personnel.

“Performance monitoring and reporting is not part of most

companies’ core business, nor is the gathering of such information generally an area of expertise, yet they can play a huge role in helping to create a more profitable and efficient operation,” comments Ian Atkinson, Multihead Weigher Business Manager at Ishida Europe.

[email protected]


Pentair recently launched its SP hygienic centrifugal pump series for food and beverage applications.

Designed for continuous operation on thin liquids with a viscosity up to 500 mPa, the new generation pumps are suitable for process and CIP/SIP applications. They offer a very gentle and steady product treatment, which makes them an ideal solution also for sensitive product applications like milk and cream products or yeast.

The pumps can handle flow rates up to 160 m3/h and pump heads up to 75 mWc.

Features of the new SP pump series include a high-quality stainless steel construction – all product wetted parts are stainless steel (1.4404/316L) – and an optimized hydraulic design for the pump housing and impeller, combined with a very smooth surface. The combination of these features results in an excellent cleanability and a high efficiency with reduced energy consumption compared to predecessor models.

Pentair’s hygienic centrifugal pumps, available with IEC standard motors and a wide range of seals, provide flexible and accurate adaptation to customer-specific requirements, which contributes to lower Total Cost of Ownership.

The pump series' compact, maintenance-friendly design allows for

a fast and easy maintenance without the need for special tools. This reduces time and labour needs significantly and minimises plant downtime.

www.foodandbeverage.pentair.com

The SP ... excellent cleanability and high efficiency

Pentair launches hygienic pump rangeTECHNOLOGY


Pentair launches hygienic pump range

Leading producer of dried fruits, nuts and seeds, Montagu Dried Fruit and Nuts, has installed a state-of-the-art indirect frying system that has dramatically reduced costs

and improved product quality. Supplied by Heat and Control, the HeatWave® fryer system

installed at the Montagu factory in the Cape uses 50% less oil than traditional systems as the product is never immersed in oil, but only moves through an oil curtain. This ensures rapid oil turnover and the freshest, most consistently fried nuts possible.

Montagu Sales Director De Wet van Rooyen says the key factor that gives nuts their flavour is the oil that they are fried in: “Traditional nut fryers don’t handle oil with as much care as our new HeatWave® fryer does. This gentler process gives the nuts a better taste, a longer shelf-life, and has certainly given Montagu products a competitive edge in the marketplace.”

Van Rooyen says that because the fryer is energy efficient and maintains the integrity of the oil for longer, the cost of roasting has been reduced by approximately 50%.

With the lowest oil volume per kg in the industry, the Heat Wave® system has a very high oil turnover rate which prolongs the life of the oil.

The entire oil volume is passed through the filtration system in less than a minute, resulting in high oil quality, highly effective fines removal and fewer burnt particles.

Due to the rapid oil turnover rate, the oil stays cleaner for longer, so less oil needs to be dumped. There is a zero delta T over the fryer width and length as well as a minimal temperature difference (1-2 Deg C) through the bed depth. This leads to uniform cooking and no hot spots.

Hannes van Rooyen, Operations Director at Montagu Dried Fruit and Nuts, is impressed with results. “Taste and quality have vastly improved as a result of superior control over all aspects of the roasting process, thanks to the new system.”

Contacts:Heat and Control - Cape Town +27 21 948 [email protected]

TECHNOLOGY

BUCKLE PACKAGING (PTY) LTDBag Closing Technology

Tel: +27 11 613 8024 • email: [email protected]

Manual hand stitchers also available

Trouble Free Bag Closers by Fischbein

Montagu isnuts about its new hightech fryer

The HeatWave fryer at Montagu® ... a "vast improvement".


Growth prospects for the food and beverage industry in South Africa remain positive, according to

Verder South Africa, which supplies Packo pumps to applications from breweries and wineries to dairies.

The Food Processing Machinery and Packaging Machinery Association of the German Engineering Federation (VDMA) predicts a 13% growth rate in the SA beverage sector over the next few years. In the case of non-alcoholic beverages, growth could be as high as 19%, and 29% for juices, 25% for bottled water, 51% for concentrates, and 35% for sport and energy drinks. The alcoholic beverage market is anticipated to grow by 6% over the same period.

Prospects for the food and beverage industry remain positive due to rapid urbanisation and a growing middle class. In addition, consumer behaviour is changing, with baked goods and confectionery gaining popularity. This points to a double-digit increase in per

capita consumption over the next few years, according to the VDMA.

A significant increase in demand for convenience products, and a growing health awareness, reveals that the South African food and beverage industry is in the midst of a transition. However, the industry is faced with certain challenges, especially the fact that the production processes used are both energy- and water-intensive. Not only do the processes themselves require a great deal of water, but water is also needed to clean the plants and machinery.

Water shortages, electricity constraints, and the mooted carbon and sugar taxes will result in increased costs for manufacturers, who are looking increasingly to innovative technological solutions to help mitigate these rising costs.

Verder recently acquired distribution rights for the Packo pump range for

the food and beverage industry. These perfectly cleanable process pumps are

used in the most demanding hygienic applications, including filtration, pasteurisation, yeast propagation and CIP (Clean-In-Place) cleaning systems.

Kobus Fourie, pump specialist at Verder South Africa, explains that Packo multi-purpose pumps not only optimise production process in the food and beverage industry, but also increase factory capacity, drive cost reduction, ensure hygiene standards are complied with, comply with all relevant legislation, and are environment-friendly and energy-efficient.

“Increasing production efficiencies, more efficient processes and ever-larger food factories are the main drivers for producing bigger food-grade pumps at high efficiency,” says Fourie.

More info: www.verderliquids.com/za/en/

TECHNOLOGY

THIS MITCHELL CAN TAKE THE HEAT AND PAIN!

Accurate relative humidity and high temp measurements in harsh environments

Many industrial processes involve high temperatures, often combined with harsh and corrosive environments. These types of conditions are not normally the best environment for precision instrumentation to be placed, as the sensors and equipment can degrade quickly.

Michell Instruments, represented locally by Instrotech, has on offer their new, rugged DT722 relative humidity and temperature transmitters for industrial use. These pre-configured products are specifically designed for process applications within HVAC, agriculture and environment where accurate, stable measurement and control of humidity and temperature is required.

Features of the DT722 are:

> Designed for accurate measurement in a harsh environment

> Calculated moisture signal output> Integral loop powered display – optional> 0 to 100% RH / -40 to +150°C operating

ranges> Long term stability: ±1% RH over 12

months> M12 fast connector and cable gland The units are exceptionally reliable and

robust with a strong, stainless steel housing providing corrosion resistance, protection against rough handling or accidental damage

and ingress protection to IP65 (NEMA 4). Additionally, the probe can withstand temperatures up to 150°C.

For more information on Michell’s DT722 relative humidity and temperature transmitters, please contact Instrotech on 010 595 1831 or [email protected]

Verder's allpumped up by SA's prospects


DINNERMATES Tel: +27 11 462 0020 +27 11 032-8600Fax: +27 11 462 0032Email: [email protected]: www.dinnermates.co.za

Suppliers to the hospitality and food industries of quality portion-controlled, chilled, frozen and dried meat products. Service excellence, innovation and flexibility give Dinnermates the edge in providing meat and chicken products tailored for special applications in the food industry.

PHT-SA TRADING INTERNATIONAL Tel: +27 86 1777 993Fax: +27 86 628 9800Email: [email protected]: www.pht-sa.co.za

PHT, your partner for hygiene and technology; plans and offers hygiene, food safety and technology solutions for food and beverage companies of any size; personnel hygiene equipment, change room equipment, drain technology, cleaning machines, foam cleaning technology, consumable goods, ergonomic handling systems, doors and components, deboning conveyor and racking systems, stunning and slaughter systems, water treatment systems, smoking and

CONSULTANTS, SERVICES AND MANUFACTURING INGREDIENTS & FLAVOURS

ADVERTISE IN OUR SUPPLIER SHOWCASE

Email [email protected] Tel: 083 653 8116

MANUFACTURING EQUIPMENT

FLEXICON

Contact: Brynn [email protected]. Tel +27 (0) 41 453 1871 Website: www.flexicon.co.za

Flexicon bulk handling equipment conveys, conditions, discharges, fills, dumps and/or weighs batches virtually any bulk material, from large pellets to sub-micron powders. The line ranges from stand-alone units to automated systems, including: Flexible Screw Conveyors, Tubular Cable Conveyors, Pneumatic Conveying Systems, Bulk Bag Conditioners, Bulk Bag Dischargers, Bulk Bag Fillers, Bag Dump Stations, Drum/Box/Container Dumpers and Weigh Batching and Blending Systems.

A separate Project Engineering Division can assume single-source responsibility for Large-Scale, Automated Plant-Wide Bulk Handling Systems that integrate equipment of Flexicon and others. Flexicon equipment is manufactured on four continents and backed by a Lifetime Performance Guarantee.

SHOWCASE

AROMATECH FLAVOURS

Tel: + 27 (0) 10 010 6147 + 27 (0) 11 452 1760 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.aromatech.co.za

For the past 30 years, Aromatech has specialised in the development and manufacture of flavours for snacks. However this has changed, and today besides snack seasonings we, with the co-operation of some of the world's finest French flavour chemists, now offer flavours for the whole of the food, dairy, pharmaceutical and beverage industries.

We are also able to offer single vitamins and vitamin pre-mixes, of the highest quality.

Aromatech will not compromise on quality, and offer extremely competitive prices, low minimum order quantities and outstanding technical and personal service.

We are passionate about what we do. Make us your next flavour partner.

M&L LABORATORY SERVICESTel: + 27 (0)11 661 7947 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.bureauveritas.com

M&L Laboratory Services (Pty) Ltd, a Bureau Veritas group company, is a fully-accredited Food Testing facility, providing clients with an extensive array of specialised analytical capabilities.

Our state-of-the-art facilities and equipment allow us to streamline sample flow through our labs in order to increase productivity, project efficiency and provide high quality data as per your specific requirements.

M&L Laboratory Services prides itself in meeting the needs of the customer, on international, national and local levels with exceptional servicefrom experienced technical staff as well as project management support.

M&L Laboratory Services is an ISO 17025 accredited facility.

LABORATORY SERVICES

PARTNER für HYGIENE und TECHNOLOGIEPARTNER for HYGIENE and TECHNOLOGY


Snack on that.

They said 150 bags every minute was impossible...

so we gave them

You don’t get ahead of the curve

without rethinking the conventional.

Thanks to its sophisticated simplicity and flexibility,

tna’s robag® FX 3ci provides you with the highest

performance VFFS packaging system in the world.

Learn more at tnasolutions.com

Food & Beverage Reporter CF AF 210x297mm.indd 1 21/09/2016 10:28

spotlight on natural colours - food industry … on natural colours sunley: why sugar tax leaves a...

Documents