< Previous30 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net MEAT, POULTRY AND SEAFOOD © stock.adobe.com/Nataliia from animals themselves, like methane from cows, and manure is being used in anaerobic digesters to generate electricity. In seafood production, furthermore, sustainable aquaculture solutions utilising plant-based feed materials and ingredients enriched with supplemental feed additives are increasing production to cut overfishing out in the world’s oceans. In poultry meanwhile a new project is seeing a new hybrid geothermal and solar heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system reduce emissions and energy costs for Australian poultry farms. Moreover, seafood and poultry collide in efforts to minimise one of the greatest environmental impacts of each, feed, with new options studied in micro algae and insects. The opportunities for sustainability in the industry are countless, with no single solution. What is also worth mentioning is the importance of defining how you’re addressing sustainability and communicating your efforts to customers. Overcoming labour shortages Labour shortages continue to hit the sector, joined by the problem of retention, and Brexit and immigration policy is adding to the challenge, impacting productivity, causing production setbacks and potential lost contracts. There is a need to attract more people to the industry as shortages become more prevalent, but with scandals hovering overhead post- pandemic and a report from FAIRR Initiative criticising the meat industry for compounding the problem due to poor working conditions and health and safety risks, there will be major hurdles to overcome. Job postings for meatpacking workers increased by 86% between 2017 and 2021 in the US, The British Poultry Council’s members have cut back chicken production by 5-10% because of shortages, and The British Meat Processors Association’s members are 15% short on staff. Though enhanced automation and data driven processes on production lines are being turned to to reduce labour requirements, better labour policies are needed. Efforts to attract new recruits to the sector are being seen with the UK’s Seafood Fund for example awarding funding for innovative training programmes to counteract the effects of an ageing fishing workforce and the number of UK fishers having fallen by 1,700 over the past decade. How food packaging can help retailers meet new sustainability demands Stephanie Poole, Senior Business Development & Retail Manager at Sealed Air, explains how the business is supporting retailers to further improve sustainability. The development of the company’s recycle-ready packaging solutions provides greater opportunity to increase the recyclability of food packaging used throughout Europe, while maintaining appealing on-pack designs. CRYOVAC® Brand recycle-ready* barrier display film (BDF) products have been developed and tested according to protocols published by Plastic Recyclers Europe, which are aligned with those of the Association of Plastics Recyclers. They both classify the films as compatible (or recycle- ready*) with LDPE4 recycling stream. The films are compatible with mono-material, cardboard, compostable and reusable trays, and can be used with different-sized trays or without trays, on HFFS lines. The films also offer an ultra-thin protective barrier of 20 microns. This can deliver 90% reduction in material usage, compared to thick laminates or thermoforming materials (based on tests carried out in Sealed Air laboratories. All facilities and systems are different, so results may vary). Sealed Air’s CRYOVAC® Brand range of recycle-ready BDF aims to optimise recycling compatibility across the continent’s diverse spectrum of recycling infrastructures. This can help food processors, retailers and brands contribute towards the development of a shared circular economy. The CRYOVAC® Brand range of recycle-ready BDF also provides flexibility of choice. The range includes BDF20M and rBDF20M (which contains 30% certified circular resin from mass balance approach), with both solutions compatible with LDPE recycling streams and delivering food-grade, soft plastic packaging with an EVOH barrier. The durability of the films delivers sustainability benefits by extending product shelf life, contributing to lower levels of food waste vs. commonly used in retail PVC stretch. *This EVOH-containing film can be recycled in low-density polyethylene (LDPE) streams. Degree of recyclability of the final package depends on the scope and availability of appropriate local recycling facilities For more information visit www.sealedair.com 28-32.qxp_Layout 1 27/02/2023 13:35 Page 3Food & Drink International 31 www.fdiforum.net MEAT, POULTRY AND SEAFOOD The cost crisis The escalation of costs in the sector is no new challenge, with skyrocketing energy prices hitting businesses alongside raw material, distribution and labour costs, increasing operating costs for farmers and processors. Some of the best ways to address this can come from simple changes on the line, through optimised production processes via energy efficient equipment, solutions slashing water use, technology for data-driven lines and decision making, and automation to improve efficiency, quality and throughput and reduce labour costs. A specific example could use robotics innovations to create an aquaculture facility that can operate with little oversight. Meanwhile meat, poultry and seafood supply chains can be optimised with vehicles and refrigeration solutions connected to the Internet of Things (IoT) to decrease transport times, associated costs and ensure that products remain fresh when reaching consumers, avoiding spoilage expenses. The issue of costs extends to consumer purchasing decisions too. The cost of living crisis is seeing consumers alter their meal plans and shopping habits and focusing on value. Many are choosing less expensive meat or chicken and are open to experimentation, whereas others, to avoid the expense of dining out, are selecting premium meats to gain a similar experience at home. Processors should therefore consider providing a product mix serving both the low-cost and high-value shopper, to take full advantage of the markets available. Overuse of antibiotics A further significant issue for the sector is the overuse of antibiotics, which is driving the development of drug-resistant pathogens. With antimicrobial resistance identified by WHO as one of the top 10 global public health threats facing humanity, livestock farmers are being asked to stop using drugs essential to human medicine. Veterinarians and producers are moving thermometer.co.uk THERMADATA ® WI-FI LOGGERS Temperature monitoring solutions for your HACCP plan Manufactured in the UK, we offer a wide range of specialist thermometers for the catering industry from daily hand-held monitoring to Bluetooth ® wireless technology & remote Wi-Fi logging 32 Á 28-32.qxp_Layout 1 27/02/2023 13:35 Page 4info@munters.co.uk munters.com Improve safety & climate conditions in cold storage Ice and fog in cold stores can create slippery and dangerous conditions. Munters IceDry ® dehumidifiers target moisture from inside the cold store to create the optimal indoor climate conditions. Suitable for manufacturing facilities, cold rooms, cold stores and process freezers, this desiccant dehumidifier is proven to: •Reduce & prevent ice, frost and fog build up on floors, walls and ceilings •Reduce defrosts by up to 1/3 •Lower maintenance and labour costs •Improve safety for staff, visitors & forklifts •Improve evaporator efficiency •Thousands of proven installations globally Visit us at FoodEx 2023 | 24-26 April | Stand D140 or Contact us for a FREE site survey TODAY Example - Before After “The cold store is the best it’s ever been for excessive ice & snow” - Kitchen Range Foods 32 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net MEAT, POULTRY AND SEAFOOD towards more judicious antibiotic use while keeping animals healthy and food supplies safe, and governments are strengthening policies on the topic. The awareness amongst consumers of antibiotic use is also rising, with demands for antibiotic-free animal foods growing. Alternative solutions and approaches are being investigated and employed to avoid excessive antibiotic use, including those based on pre- and probiotics, supplements, vaccination, better animal management and hygiene conditions, essential oils, and AI to detect the first signs of illness to allow for prompt treatment and prevention of disease spread. Natural supplements like vitamin D for turkey diseases, and phytochemicals — natural chemicals found in plants like safflower, plums and peppers — to enhance the immune system of chickens are among these. These represent just a handful of challenges and trends in meat, poultry and seafood, with transformation set, and essential for the future of, the sector. © stock.adobe.com/nordroden 28-32.qxp_Layout 1 27/02/2023 13:35 Page 5Food & Drink International 33 www.fdiforum.net SIEVES AND SEPARATORS B oth Sieving and separating involve separating or refining a mixture to ensure the quality, consistency and safety of a food product, however here is where the similarity ends, as the two each serve different functions in a number of subtle ways. Consider this your primer in why sieving and separating are important to the value and hygiene of a vast multitude of food products. As well as understanding where either one is most appropriate, read on for the proper ways to implement both, so you can represent the best version of your factory or food business and its produce. Let’s start with the whys of sieving, otherwise known as sifting. This is a process that involves passing a mixture of ingredients through a sieve, mesh or perforated surface, to separate larger particles from smaller ones. This process plays a crucial role in ensuring quality, consistency and safety, and helps to ensure that the ingredients are uniform in size, for the best taste in a final product. Sieving can help improve the flowability of ingredients, especially those that tend to clump together or stick. By separating the larger particles, separation Degrees of © stock.adobe.com/Aleksandr Matveev 34 Á Sieving and separating are both crucial processes when preparing ingredients during food processing, or an otherwise finished product to make it attractive, palatable and, most importantly, safe for consumers. 33-35.qxp_Layout 1 27/02/2023 13:38 Page 134 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net SIEVES AND SEPARATORS ingredients can move more freely and mix more evenly, which makes it easier to achieve a consistent product. This stage in food processing also helps ensure that only high-quality ingredients are used in the food production process, eliminating substandard ingredients that may negatively impact the quality of the final product. Separating is another means of removing unwanted solid particles, which also entails separating ingredients or potential contaminants by using a mesh. This step helps in achieving a consistent texture and appearance by removing any solid particles that may have an uneven texture. Separating additionally improves the digestibility of food by removing fibrous materials from liquid- based preparations, for instance in separating vegetable or fruit juices, which also creates a smoother and easier mouth feel. One of the most vital reasons for sieving or separating your ingredients is the early or prompt removal of impurities, so that unwanted materials can be prevented from marring the safety or quality of any final product. But we find a key divergence in the functions of the two processes here, as sieving is better suited for separating and regulating dry ingredients, while separating is a purifying and texture regulating method for sauces, drinks or other liquids. The latter ensures that no solid matter—which could be seeds, pulp from fruit or vegetables, or other loose particles from ingredient preparation—negatively impacts a sauce, soup broth or other liquid which should be smooth or clear in appearance and texture. The main function of sieving is instead to remove hidden dirt, stones or other foreign materials from granulated or powdered mixtures, thereby reducing the chances of a sold product losing nutritional value, or even becoming a health and safety risk. As a secondary function, passing ingredients through a sieve makes for a fine and evenly combined mixture, free of clumps that might also spoil the taste or texture of foods further down the production line. If flour which contains large lumps is used in cakes and pastries, for example, the texture of the final product would be uneven, stodgy or too dense in places, and distasteful for a consumer. © stock.adobe.com/romaset 33-35.qxp_Layout 1 27/02/2023 13:38 Page 2Food & Drink International 35 www.fdiforum.net SIEVES AND SEPARATORS The finer details of correct procedure for both processes diverge too, but both begin with finding the right tools for the task at hand. When sieving a mixture to be incorporated in foods, a specific sieve may be required depending on the size and shape of the particles. For instance, if the particles are particularly fine, a sieve with a finer mesh may be needed to achieve the desired results. Selecting the right strainer for any job depends instead on the type of liquid or sauce being strained. For example, a fine-mesh strainer may be used for sauces or purees, while a colander or sieve with larger holes could be the better instrument for broths or stocks. The next stage in sieving is to weigh ingredients to ensure the correct ratio is used in the recipe, this being a refining and separating process that’s often used in the ingredient mixing phase of food production, much earlier than the texture perfecting that separating comes in most useful for. The ingredients are then passed through the sieve using a mechanical or manual method. A mechanical sieve is often used for larger quantities of ingredients, while manual sieving is ideal for smaller quantities. The process may then be repeated as many times as necessary until the required particle size, blending and fineness of a dry mixture is achieved, and any tools can then be cleaned of any residue for a new batch or different task. To properly strain liquid ingredients at any stage along the production line, liquids or sauces to be incorporated in a product should be prepared and cooked according to regulated recipe and food safety guidelines, so that each batch of any product is of the same quality and uniform in taste and texture. The liquid or sauce can then be passed through the strainer using a spoon, spatula, or ladle, or poured directly through the mesh, being careful to press or scrape the solids against the strainer, extract the maximum amount of liquid or sauce, and avoid waste wherever possible. In some cases, the separating process may need to be repeated to achieve the right consistency. Particularly when focusing on the clarity of a liquid such as a transparent broth or consommé, it may be pertinent to strain several times with a fine-perforated strainer, as this will remove any trace of turbidity or cloudiness from an otherwise appealing product. © stock.adobe.com/siculodoc 33-35.qxp_Layout 1 27/02/2023 13:38 Page 336 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net WATER TREATMENT © stock.adobe.com/M-Production Clean and pure Clean and pure 36-39.qxp_Layout 1 27/02/2023 13:40 Page 1Food & Drink International 37 www.fdiforum.net WATER TREATMENT W ater has come under the spotlight lately due both to several incidents surrounding it, but also droughts being reported in numerous countries. The UK has just reported the driest February in over 30 years for instance, and this follows several years of water rationing in the form of hose pipe bans across the country. Food and beverage manufacturers use a vast amount of water in their processes and create a staggering amount of wastewater as a result. The treatment and safe release of water is sure to be an important point going forward. In fact, the importance of the water treatment and wastewater industry is predicted to grow drastically, to a value of over $78 billion by 2030. The cornerstones of water treatment involve the treating and safe release/disposal of water used in business processes back into the environment. This can have major ecological impacts when handled ineffectively, harming biodiversity and causing ecological, as well as environmental, damage. We live in a world where these factors are prized more than ever by consumers and customers who, in a more digital world, are quick to find fault and Water is integral to our survival, and a shortage of it, combined with poor handling of wastewater, is threatening many countries across the world. 38 Á 36-39.qxp_Layout 1 27/02/2023 13:40 Page 238 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net WATER TREATMENT criticise companies who cause damage to the landscape. Wastewater – and waste management in general – represents not only copious amounts of greenhouse gas, but damaging environmental waste that can impact entire ecosystems, changing concentrations of animals, pests and insects in ways that can upset natural habitats. One doesn’t have to look far to see timely and topical examples of water treatment done wrong, as the UK Government was recently highlighted for decisions that allowed treatment works to pump raw sewage into the UK’s rivers which, a new report has found, was known to be happening by the Environment Agency ten years ago. The report found that in 2012, it was known that United Utilities were dumping raw sewage into rivers in north-west regions and were failing to treat the required amount of sewage as agreed by their permits. The fact it has only come to light now has led many to anger and will place more attention on water treatment and wastewater disposal going forward as the Government, and concerned groups, try to limit the damage. Since then, Anglian Water have been fined over £800,000 for breaches and pollution incidents in Cambridgeshire, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire, which has led for calls for their other sites to be investigated as well. One incident was said to have caused the deaths of every invertebrate in the river for 1.5 kilometres, which will have disastrous knock-on effects for all animals for which they were a part of the food chain. With current events in the world pushing countries to become more self-sufficient in case of an escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, factors such as these, and the drought, will be sure to draw attention from governing bodies. Is accurate and adequate water treatment just about complying with environmental demands and avoiding criticism, however? No. It is important that good water treatment in any business be viable as well as environmentally sound, and thankfully water treatment can help to reduce energy costs if it is implemented correctly. The process itself is very energy intensive, which is why it stands that greater savings can be made. A 10% increase in energy efficiency, for instance, will have a much greater 36-39.qxp_Layout 1 27/02/2023 13:40 Page 3Astell Scientific Ltd. produce customisable autoclaves for every situation. Talk to us about your autoclaving needs today. astell.com This Astell Ecofill autoclave can re-use water and heat energy from its self-contained water supply up to 15 times before it needs changing. Not only does this make it more eco-friendly, but also means it is easier to fit into your lab - just plug into a standard electrical socket. No direct mains water? No drain? No problem. Food & Drink International 39 www.fdiforum.net WATER TREATMENT financial saving on an energy-intensive process as opposed to an energy-light process. The amount of savings that can be made will depend on factors such as the size and age of existing water treatment facilities, how outdated they might be and the sewage inflow and effluent quantity. As ever, the method to reaching targets (and avoiding punishing regulations) lays in the adoption of water treatment technologies. This may mean investment, which is not going to be an attractive thing in the current state of the economy. Interest rates are high, inflation higher, and economies are poor – especially in the UK. Manufacturers in the EU and further abroad might have a wider appetite for water treatment and might see UK manufacturers falling further and further behind. © stock.adobe.com/Vastram © stock.adobe.com/Peter 36-39.qxp_Layout 1 27/02/2023 13:40 Page 4Next >