By Dr. Bernhard Reichenbach

In the age of globalization and digitization, of Internet and e-commerce, it is more important than ever to be well informed. In the face of fierce global competition, an informational advantage can be crucial. Trade fairs such as ProSweets Cologne or Anuga Foodtec are among the most important sources of information for business people in industry and commerce. We will report on both events in this issue and introduce you to interesting novelties.

With 20,000 visitors, ProSweets Cologne attracted significantly more interested parties than the previous events, and Anuga FoodTec is also likely to be a crowd puller. In our interview, Simone Schiller, Managing Director of the Specialist Centre for Food of DLG (German Agricultural Society), shows what the trade fair visitors can expect from 20 to 23 March 2018 in Cologne.

In our series “sp portrait”, this time, we report on the company Eis-Zauberei in Rheinsberg/Germany. After the fall of the Wall, the enterprise took advantage of an older US invention and developed a “magical swirl” for ice cream production. With this mixing system, everyone can design their own ice cream product and create a new, individual taste experience.

Another interesting article deals with intelligent data management at a renowned confectionery manufacturer. In order to avoid capacity bottlenecks in the central data processing, they decided for an IT solution of NetApp company and profits from increased storage efficiency as well as shorter access times.

Koelnmesse, which hosts specialist shows such as ISM, ProSweets and Anuga FoodTec, had a record-breaking year in 2017. At over EUR 350 m, the trade fair company’s turnover surpassed that of the previous record year of 2015 by around 10 % and, once again, far exceeded expectations. The profit amounts to more than EUR 20 m. Over the past year, the number of employees worldwide rose by almost 5 % to 821. Of these, around 650 work in Cologne.

The good result is primarily due to the company’s core business: the organization of events in Cologne and in key foreign markets. In 2017, the turn-over of the trade fairs in Cologne increased by around 13 % on average compared to the respective preceding events. Eight events from all the areas of expertise in Cologne grew at a double-digit rate. Some of the foreign trade fairs, in Brazil, India and Thailand for example, also saw significant increases in the number of exhibitors and visitors. The turnover from services for trade fair participants continued to rise as well.

The Board of Directors of Chr. Hansen Holding A/S has appointed Mauricio Graber as CEO as of 1 June 2018. Mauricio Graber has been President of the ­Flavours Division and a member of the Executive Committee of Givaudan since 2006. He holds a BSc in Electronic Engineering from Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana in Mexico and a Masters in Management from the JL Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University/USA. His professional career started in 1989 with US-company Nutrasweet.

The trade fair ProSweets Cologne 2018 offered technology, ingredients and packaging ideas for the sweets and snacks of tomorrow. With 20,000 visitors, the “International Supplier Fair for the Sweets and Snack Industry” attracted significantly more interested parties than the previous events.

Sweets and snacks manufacturers need a strong and innovative supplier industry,” stated Katharina C. Hamma, Chief Operating Officer of Koelnmesse, at the close of ProSweets Cologne. “Against this background, ProSweets Cologne 2018 clearly demonstrated its expertise and significance as a central information and procurement platform for the industry.”

Attracting over 20,000 trade visitors from more than 100 countries, ProSweets Cologne recorded a significant increase in the number of visitors compared to previous events. Particularly the number of foreign trade visitors increased. 70 % of all visitors came from abroad.

As always, ProSweets Cologne profited from the synergies of ISM, the world’s largest fair for sweets and snacks. At this trade fair which was held parallel, 1,656 exhibiting companies from 73 countries and 37,500 trade visitors from 144 countries were registered.

Many exhibitors came from abroad

The quality of the trade visitors and discussions convinced the 325 ProSweets Cologne exhibitors from 33 countries. 67 % of the exhibitors came from abroad. In addition to the ­leading suppliers from the supplier industry, numerous small and medium-sized companies were also represented. After the successful outcome of the trade fair, over 80 % of the exhibitors already definitely plan to return in 2019.

Once again, ProSweets Cologne presented the wide range of themes that are significant in the pre-stages, production and packing sectors. For four days, the trade fair was dedicated to the themes raw materials and ingredients, sweets packaging and packaging technology, machines and systems as well as secondary areas, such as food safety or quality management.

The changes to formulas, presentation forms and packing that is strived for by the consumer-oriented industry dominated the discussions at the stands as well as the lectures on the event programme. Multisensory technology, the relationship between the individual ingredients, the influence of alternative sweeteners on the overall recipe, but also issues regarding food safety were addressed in detail. Machine and technological optimizations, resource efficiency as well as solutions for providing transparency along the supply chain met with great interest among the trade visitors.

The trade visitors comprised of executives of the companies as well as employees from the research, development and construction departments. According to a survey, they had great influence on the procurement and buying decisions within their companies, an impression that was also conveyed by the exhibitors. “We held discussions with highly-qualified specialists, who were contemplating investments and the expansion of existing machinery,” commented one large machine manufacturer.

The interest in the theme packing, which was additionally featured in the “Packaging – Function meets Design” special event this year, was very high. The theme ingredients also proved to be of ongoing interest. For example, the guided tours entitled “Reformulation” were once more very well-attended.

The next ProSweets Cologne is scheduled to take place from 27 to 30 January 2019.

According to the company, Hans Brunner GmbH is the world‘s leader in chocolate moulds, creating a variety of new ­figures every year, ranging from Santas and Easter Bunnies to whatever the customers located around the world desire. The amount of time involved in an advisory consultation with a customer has become an important factor for success. With this in mind, at trade fair ProSweets Cologne the company presented its portable 3D product development. Equipped with a laptop and a laser pen, the technicians from Hans Brunner can ­execute changes and modifications to the moulds and the figures at the customers’ own business premises.

Markus Gebhart, Managing Director at Hans Brunner, presented this ­innovation to the trade fair attendees in Cologne with a football player that was transformed on-site from a chunky, overweight ”loser” into a true champion with the appropriate football club jersey. Normal chocolate tablet moulds can be varied in size, weight, relief depth or number of pieces in virtually no time, making it possible to reach a final decision on-site together with the customer.

At this year’s trade show ProSweets Cologne, Wacker introduced a novel process for depositing sugar-free chewing gum to a wide specialist audience for the first time. Normally, gum is mainly formed in shapes such as sticks, balls and pillows. But thanks to this new process, gum can now simply be moulded into different shapes, similar to gummy bears. A new formulation makes this possible. Whereas conventional chewing gum is produced in a dry mixing process, chewing gum based on the Wacker premix Capiva C can be cooked. This way, products can be processed using standard sugar confectionery cookers and subsequently moulded into a great variety of different, so far unknown shapes. Another advantage is that the cooking process allows the use of numerous ingredients such as fruit juice, coffee, dairy products, chocolate, coconut and plant extracts, which the traditional mixing process could not handle.

So-called superfoods, such as turmeric, pomegranate, acerola or ginger are in line with the latest trends. They are full of nutrients and are therefore regarded as particularly beneficial for well-being. Proteins are viewed as truly multi-talented in nutrition thanks to their ­important function in the metabolic process. Döhler’s range of proteins from rice, peas or oats is suited for providing added value to delicious sweet product innovations.

Against this background, the company has developed a portfolio of functional fruit gums for different customer requirements. These not only taste great, but also contain healthy ingredients, such as proteins, guarana, botanical extracts or superfood ingredients. The natural power of superfoods can be seen in a hard boiled candy, which has an RDA vitamin C value of 50 % thanks to being enriched with acerola powder. The added acerola powder has a standardized vitamin C content of 34 % which supports the immune system and provides a small energy boost.

Barry Callebaut has introduced a sensory language and a tasting ritual that will help chocolate professionals and consumers to understand and express the richness of chocolate taste. Cocoa and chocolate sensory scientists from Barry Callebaut and the leading global ­flavour house Givaudan did extensive research to develop a chocolate sensory language and tasting ritual, inspired by what has already been created for wine, coffee and craft beer categories. The chocolate sensory language finds its foundation in the new book “Hidden Persuaders in Cocoa and Chocolate. A Flavor ­Lexicon for Cocoa and Chocolate Sensory Professionals” by Renata Januszewska.

Pairing cocoa and chocolate sensory research with consumer understanding, Barry Callebaut developed the Consumer Chocolate Sensory Wheel with 87 descriptors (image), covering the flavour, texture and aroma of chocolate. A chocolate tasting ritual requires the five senses – sight, touch, hearing, smell and taste – and enables chocolate professionals and consumers to discover new dimensions of chocolate experience and appreciate chocolate even more.

The online measurement of moisture content plays a key role in quality assurance and automation of processes in many industries. With the development of a new FlowCell especially for use in hygienic applications, Berthold is now expanding its portfolio of microwave sensors with another innovative product. For a representative measurement, the microwaves in the transmission method used by Berthold penetrate the entire material cross-section, which is reflected in a high measuring accuracy. Microwave measurement takes place during the ongoing process and provides real-time information to identify trends in the concentration or dry matter of various liquids, suspensions or pastes. The new FlowCell is integrated into an existing pipeline and consists of a stainless steel inline housing and two microwave antennas which are connected via clamp connections and are interchangeable at any time. Due to the certification of the EHEDG, the system with its hygienic design and FDA-approved materials is particularly suitable for use in the food industry.

Anuga FoodTec, Halle 10.2, Stand H 14

From 20 to 23 March 2018, Anuga FoodTec will be offering a broad-based technical programme flanking the trade fair and addressing topical themes in food technology. Simone Schiller, Managing Director of the DLG Competence Center Food & Beverage (DLG – Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft/German Agricultural Society) knows what visitors to the trade fair in Cologne can expect.

sweets processing: Ms Schiller, DLG is responsible for organizing the technical programme at Anuga FoodTec. Which main emphasis have you selected for 2018?
Simone Schiller: On the grounds of its exceptionally high importance for the food and beverage industry, the technical programme at Anuga FoodTec 2018 will be concentrating on the guiding theme of resource efficiency. Visitors to the fair will find numerous opportunities in Cologne for grappling intensively with this multi-faceted issue, which is highly relevant for the entire industry.

sp: So efficient use of resources is the guiding theme at Anuga FoodTec 2018. What made you decide on this specific priority?
Schiller: The rising demand for raw materials and energy sources worldwide and increasing urbanisation are compelling us to probe the reasons behind our present actions and business practices. Careful and at the same time efficient use of natural resources is the crucial key competence for fit-for-future societies. Many exhibitors at Anuga FoodTec 2018 will be showing innovative solutions for reducing the use of energy and water as well as for cutting food losses in production and at the same time boosting competitiveness. The technical programme at the fair will provide orientation in a structured and compact form and give the trade public fresh stimuli.

sp: How do you intend to illustrate the complex subject of resource efficiency at the fair?
Schiller: In order to keep the guiding theme of resource efficiency in the spotlight throughout the fair, we have decided to combine three event formats. Firstly, there will be an opening conference on the theme with top-flight speakers. Under the heading “Resource efficiency – challenges and opportunities”, internationally recognized experts will shed light on the relevant facets of the matter. Secondly, the extensive programme of expert forums will take up the theme in a separate forum entitled “Resource efficiency”. Thirdly, visitors to Anuga FoodTec will be able to obtain a compact and at the same time informative overview of innovations in the field of resource efficiency during guided tours of the exhibition.

sp: What can visitors expect at the opening conference?
Schiller: At the opening conference on 20 March, the experts Prof. Michael Braungart, Prof. Ruud Huirne, Prof. Pierre Pienaar and Prof. Alexander Sauer will each explore central ­areas of the issue of resource efficiency in their presentations. This will include effective and efficient organization of the value creation process by making optimal use of materials, energy, personnel and capital. Options for the best possible use of resources will be shown – for greater sustainability, lower environmental impact, and savings in a wide range of business sectors.

"Smart Factory for bakery products is now on everybody’s lips"

sp: Which benefits are to be gained from taking part in the guided tours?
Schiller: Anuga FoodTec with around 1,700 exhibitors covers an extremely broad range of topical themes concerned with food technology. The guided tours offered by DLG facilitate orientation and provide visitors with a compact and informative overview of precisely those fields that attract their professional interest. In the course of the roughly one-hour guided tours, selected exhibitors will take about ten minutes each to present innovative products and solutions addressing a specific theme. There will be guided tours on subjects such as innovations in food technology, robots in food production, Industry 4.0, filling and packaging technology, modularization, flexibilization and individualization, and innovative packaging materials.

sp: What special offers are there for the confectionery and snacks industry?
Schiller: A great many! The session “Interdisciplinary reformulation of foods” plays a role in the topical theme of public health and will give new impetus to acceptance of products with less sugar, salt and saturated fatty acids. In recent years, the texture of foods has developed to become one of the top issues in the industry. The session “Texture design” addresses a number of aspects and shows how new technologies and the application of sensory testing or measuring methods contribute to implementing texture design. Furthermore, in the age of Big Data cross-sectoral technologies and topics, strategies and solutions are also reflected in our varied technical programme. I would like to draw attention, for instance, to the sessions “Robots in food production” or “Efficient technologies for electricity, heat and refrigeration”.

sp: Which topics are especially interesting for visitors from the bakery sector?
Schiller: The production of bakery products is subject to high quality and cost pressure, which has led to increasing automation of bakery machinery. This makes efficient process organization all the more important. There is demand for innovative technologies which combine energy efficiency with production ecology and economy and at the same time offer potential for enhancing product quality. The session “Innovative technologies for bakery production” shows current process engineering solutions. Although the production of bakery products can look back on centuries of tradition, it is still in a state of constant change. Innovations ensure that new consumer-friendly and market-oriented products are being developed all the time and the Smart Factory for bakery products is now on everybody’s lips. The session “Trends in innovative bakery production” will generate fresh impetus here. And with the sessions “Enzymes in food production” we are addressing yet an-other thematic area of relevance for the industry.

Anuga FoodTec 2018: focus on innovation

As the leading global trade fair, Anuga FoodTec in Cologne – organized jointly by Koelnmesse and DLG – is the most important driving force of the international food and beverage industry again. It is the only trade fair in the world that covers all aspects of food production. From 20 to 23 March 2018, the industry presents its innovations and technological visions there – from processing, filling and packaging technology to packaging materials, ingredients, food safety and the entire range of innovations from all the areas associated with food production. Resource efficiency will be the primary focus of Anuga FoodTec 2018. Numerous accompanying event and congress programmes will also illuminate the topic from various angles.

Besides innovations in product filling and palletizing, Behn + Bates will present a diversity of systems for product screening and bulk loading as well as complete packaging automation for the first time. The company will show a manually operated filling module, generated from the brand-new hygienic machine Roto-Packer Adams Care-Line Edition (image). The hygienic machine, meeting the constantly increasing demands of the food industry in an optimum way, offers the best possible hygienic standard that is available for filling pre-fabricated open-mouth and FFS bags on the international markets at present. The machine design, featuring minimized dust deposit areas and optimum cleaning possibilities, allows for optimum hygienic conditions. All integrated components are enclosed and minimized. There are almost no open threads or boreholes in the sectional steel frame. Therefore, product dusts cannot accumulate. The inclined machine edges and the rounded machine corners additionally facilitate cleaning and elimination of smaller product dust deposits.

Anuga FoodTec, Halle 8.1, Stand D 30/E 31

Heat pump based condensation drying is an innovative technology now finding its way into the food industry. The energy-saving technology developed by drying system manufacturer Harter is particularly attractive for food producers. It employs an alternative physical approach: extremely dry, unsaturated air is used to gently dry products at low temperatures. Quality drying results are obtained at temperatures between 20 and 90 °C, as appropriate for the specific application.

The system combines efficient air dehumidification with targeted air routing. This ensures uniform and reliable drying to achieve the desired residual moisture content. Foodstuff, but also any primary and secondary packaging, is thus processed in a very gentle way in order to retain maximum product integrity. The integrated heat pump technology provides highest efficiency of the drying process. Drying is always accomplished in a closed system and is, thus, fully independent of the climate. Production environments are not affected. Dryers installed so far have demonstrated positive effects on aroma, ingredients, flavours as well as product appearance.

The new small-series trolley dryer was developed for drying rather small quantities of quality food. The AIRGENEX®food trolley dryer includes a trolley to accommodate various sizes and designs of plates or trays. This allows drying of products placed separately or at filling heights of 100 mm maximum. The supporting plates or trays may be exchanged or rearranged in almost no time to make the trolley ready for the specific application. For larger quantities, Harter designs special drying systems for batch or continuous drying, as appropriate for the specific product and production process. AIRGENEX®food dryers may also be used for cooling purposes.

Anuga FoodTec, Halle 10.1, Stand C49

Bereits seit Jahren nutzt Symrise die Isotopenverhältnis-Massenspektrometrie (IRMS) zur Authentizitätsbestimmung von Vanille. Um die Möglichkeiten der Differenzierung von Vanillin-Qualitäten weiter zu verbessern, wurde eine zusätzliche IRMS-basierte Methode etabliert.

Vanilla is the best-known and most popular flavour in the world and the second most expensive spice after saffron. The prices for real vanilla are currently at an all-time high. Customers pay USD 550 to 600 for one kilogram of black vanilla beans.

Vanilla extracts and isolated vanillin are also used as important flavour components in addition to the pods of the vanilla orchid themselves. Therefore, comprehensive quality controls are needed for products made from this plant. By employing these controls, Symrise company not only meets the increasing demand of customers for certification of authenticity but it also complies with national regulations.

Depending on the product and its position in the supply and value chain, different methods are used for quality control and to provide proof of authenticity. If plant material is being examined, for example, this can be done by DNA analysis. On the other hand, commercially used vanillin can be differentiated in terms of its origin and production method using isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Symrise has already been using IRMS for years to verify authenticity. Recently, an extended IRMS method was established to further enhance the process of differentiating quality levels of vanillin. Details on the complete approach have been published by Symrise in the Flavour and Fragrance Journal: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ffj.3379/full.

After integration of all available spectroscopic data using a statistical approach, the results enable a significantly improved differentiation of vanillin from critical provenances. This allows, for example, to differentiate vanillin that was produced naturally from eugenol from synthetic vanillin derived from lignin or curcumin. This approach highly improves the quality and authenticity verification for vanilla products and sets new standards through which the needs of Symrise customers can be met in this discerning market segment both now and in the future.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ffj.3379/full.

Aberrations in the fermentation and drying of raw cocoa can lead to the generation of dangerous mould toxins. An interdisciplinary project is aimed at demonstrating how to minimize these toxins and increase product safety.

By Dr. Jörg Häseler

High sensory quality raw cocoas are essential for high-quality dark chocolate. This quality depends heavily on the genetic background of the cocoa trees, and on the fermentation and drying processes. During drying, the preliminary phases of the chocolate flavour development begin in the cocoa seeds while bitter constituents are broken down. Incorrect fermentation, however, can produce undesired flavours and mycotoxin (fungus toxin) contaminations, in particular with Ochratoxin A (OTA), a substance capable of causing kidney diseases and, in some cases, cancer.

OTA is formed, among others, by lower fungi. When storage conditions are not ideal, the corresponding toxin catalysts can even develop in mild climatic zones. OTA is found almost exclusively in plant-based food products around the world such as grains, coffee, grapes and products made from them, as well as in cocoa, nuts and spices. The big problem with OTA is that once contaminated products have been consumed by humans, they are only expelled from the body at a very slow pace.

The possible contamination of raw cocoa apparently results predominantly from aberrations occurring during fermentation and drying which allow the dangerous moulds to establish themselves. The influence and, above all, the interplay between these factors in the development of specific biochemical and sensory profiles have not been conclusively investigated. Nevertheless, the worldwide standard is still a spontaneous fermentation process which as such does not really accommodate any genuine process supervision. This is one of the reasons why raw cocoa is characterised by a high, unsatisfactory level of qualitative heterogeneity.

On the road to “Flavour on demand”

This is further complicated by the fact that as a result of increasing consumption, the quantities of raw cocoa produced frequently are inadequate for covering the industry’s needs. Because of this, chocolate manufacturers are experiencing increasing difficulties with the acquisition of raw cocoa of a consistent sensory quality. At the same time, raw cocoas with specific sensory properties and a definitively identified origin are becoming ever more important.
Now, factors like how the cocoa genotype, the cultivation conditions, the fermentation with selected starter cultures and the drying process influence the development of specific sensory profiles are set to be systematically investigated. Five research groups from Germany and Peru will work together to unlock the secrets of the sensory development of raw cocoa. The interdisciplinary project “Quality-improved cocoa and cocoa-based products with flavour profiles on-demand – From the farmer to the chocolate bar” will set up a model processing chain comprising every step of processing.

This includes the influence and interplay between cultivation conditions, the cocoa genotype, cocoa seed physiology, the fruit pulp, fermentation with selected starter cultures and drying in the development of specific biochemical compounds and sensory properties in raw cocoa and chocolate. Testing of the suitability of rapid analysis and control methods for the specific quality characteristics will also be conducted at the same time.

Something is happening in the confectionery industry: digitalization is advancing with great strides. With a whole series of events, ZDS – Zentralfachschule der Deutschen Süßwarenwirtschaft e. V. is taking this trend into account.

With a seminar on E-commerce from 15 to 16 May 2018, the participants will get concise answers to specific questions such as: is e-commerce profitable for me, what conditions do I have to fulfill, what options are there? How do I find customers for my online shop, and which legal framework do I have to take into consideration in e-commerce? These or similar questions will be discussed by experts in the seminar.

Directly following the E-Commerce seminar, the congress “Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing for the Food Industry” takes place from 17 to 18 May 2018. Last year, the Innoforum Sweets & Snacks on the subject of 3D printing took place for the first time at ZDS with great success. This year’s main topics will be, amongst others: structural ingredients for the dimensional stability of 3D printed foods or 3D printed functional sweets. In the field of additive manufacturing, experts will present the latest form and design possibilities through additive manufacturing for spare parts and machine manufacturing.

This series concludes with the congress “Digitalization in Confectionery Production” from 9 to 10 October 2018. This congress is about maintaining competitiveness through digitalization. The focus here will be on teaching basic knowledge of digitalization and providing decision support for investments in the area of digital production technology for medium-sized confectionery manufacturers.

A development from 1930s USA was on its way to being forgotten until Wolfgang Brasch from Germany’s Brandenburg region discovered the know-how and the possibilities of this “magical swirl” for creating delicious ice cream. Once the Berlin Wall had fallen, Wolfgang took the initiative. Today, his company Eis-Zauberei is franchised with wholesale trading along with special machinery manufacture and maintenance service.

By Dr. Jörg Häseler

The Eis-Zauberei headquarters is located in the town of Rheinsberg in the German state of Brandenburg. The mixing machinery for the products known as “EiZ” and shakes based on the American ­invention of the “magical swirl” can meanwhile be found in twenty countries around the world, including ­Japan. These delicious ice cream products are available in Germany at over 55 mobile or fixed locations.

The fall of the Berlin Wall was a stroke of immense luck for many ­people. Wolfgang Brasch became ­acquainted with the magical ice cream machine mentioned above in West Berlin on the weekend following the fateful 9 November 1989. By 1990, he had already gone into business for himself and was moving ­toward expanding his business. “I started out as a franchisee. But only four weeks later, I switched sides and had already become a franchisor for an agreed region in the northeast of what had formerly been East Germany”, he reports with justifiable pride.

The company, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2015, has now ten employees. In 1997, the company used EU sub­sidies and funding from the European Social Fund to develop its own mixing machine, designed to be more stable, quieter, lighter and more compliant with the important hygienic requirements. The project was supported by the German state of Brandenburg‘s official investment bank, the ILB, and the state’s guarantee bank, the BBB. The aim back then was to manufacture the machine’s entire housing in stainless steel and to optimize its electronics.

Mr. Brasch received support from the Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology in Berlin, which conducted extensive testing with new materials and shapes, ultimately resulting in a well-designed, transparent machine that gave customers a look inside the production. Mr. Brasch reports, “Around ten companies were involved in the latest ­version, handling everything from the electronics to the motors and ­supplying the lighting. Since 2003, the machine has been built and constantly improved on the basis of continuous new experience”.

Each EiZ is bound up with a new, wholly individual taste experience, because anyone can design their own ice cream product. “Everyone can ­experiment to their heart’s desire, because everyone decides themselves what they like”, explains Mr. Brasch.

Customers can watch the production process

The manufacturing principle is simple. A circular slice of pre-manufactured organic-based ice cream is inserted into a pre-installed mixing cone featuring a star-shaped outlet. This cone ensures that all of the natural ingredients inside it are mixed together with the basic ice cream into a delicious EiZ, which is pressed into the wafer cone and handed over to the hungry customer.

The details of how it works are like this: The “ice cream magician” adds a portion of the –18 °C basic ice cream into the cylindrical mixing cone, then uses a lever to press it downwards and closes the star-shaped outlet to prevent smaller ingredients or liquids from escaping the cone prior to the mixing process. Now, the customer’s individually chosen ingredients are added, and the mixing begins by pressing down the operating lever while at the same time the mixing cone and its entire contents are quickly transported upwards to the rapidly rotating swirler.

The swirler is the key invention from the USA. It crushes and mixes the entire contents into a homogenous mass. This process only lasts a few seconds and the freshly conjured, tailor-made EiZ leaves the mechanical cone for the wafer ice cream cone. The operator watches everything along with the customer. The natural flavours of the ingredients and their components are retained throughout the entire process.

All basis ice cream varieties are certified organic

After the mixing process, cleaning is conducted by rinsing with water located in a tank in the device. Mr. Brasch explains, “If more thorough cleaning is required, a brush and cloth are used to remove any residual ice cream from the swirler, and the previously unused clean cone is inserted”. People allergic to dairy products or nuts and those who are lactose-intolerant can also enjoy EiZ with no worries. Licensing partners are also covered in the event a repair is needed since the company also supervises the maintenance of the appliances, restoring the operational functionality of the mixing machines within 48 hours.

What customers taste are above all regional products without artificial colourings or flavours. There is no limit to what can be used, from sea buckthorn taken from Brandenburg’s fields to strawberries grown by local farmers. Franchisees look after the acquisition of the ingredients themselves, although products containing alcohol are generally frowned upon. But there are plenty of other special ingredients such as organic ginger-oil, matcha tea and other super-foods.

The basis of all EiZ flavours is the organic basis ice cream, aside from the pure fruit sorbet, which customers can put together themselves from the frozen fruit on hand at the POS. There are four different organic basis ice cream varieties: two milk and two rice milk varieties (vegan and lactose-free). All of the basis ice cream varieties are certified organic and are made using the company’s own recipes. They contain low amounts of sugar and fat, meaning they are also low-calorie foods. Mr. Brasch explains further, “Diabetics, people who are gluten-intolerant and people with allergies are not excluded from the fun; we have our fruit sorbets for them”.

Franchisees can be booked for trade fairs, company anniversary events, family celebrations and more, offering guests something they don’t get to see every day. How about a yogurt ice cream with horseradish? More than 365 varieties can be conjured up right before guests’ eyes! Anyone can create their own speciality. The company helps franchisees to find the right combination, but it’s the customers who decide what ends up in their ice cream: herbs, candies, fruits, cookies, nuts, spices, coffee, tea...the sky’s the limit! For instance, at the recent ISM trade fair, Hanns G. Werner company joined up with Wolfgang Brasch for the fifth time already and presented their lozenges and sugar crumbles for attendees to try out as a topping on this “EiZ” cream!

And Wolfgang Brasch is by no means ready to retire. He’s busy at the moment working on improving recipes. He comments, “The agave syrup is going to go. The natural sugar content of the ingredient in question should be enough on its own, or perhaps supplemented only with organic quality sugar. But the end of the development of the machine and the entire concept is still a long way off, because I’m not adverse either to the automation of the whole process”.

In order to avoid capacity bottlenecks in central data processing, confectionery manu- facturer August Storck KG decided on an IT solution from data management specialist NetApp. This solution is economical, available and failsafe. Storage efficiency has been increased and access times reduced.

Data for the production of the confectionery of August Storck (see box) is processed centrally in Halle/Westphalia. Since 2010, this site has been using classic MetroCluster systems, consisting of SAS disks, as the primary storage – now in their third generation. In addition to virtual Windows servers, user data, mainly in the form of Office documents and PDFs, requires storage space.

Storage space requirements constantly increase as new IT systems and applications are added. At the same time, access times need to be kept as short as possible. Before capacity could threaten to reach breaking point on account of the growing data volume, Storck in 2016 decided to ensure that its virtualized VMware IT landscape was fit for the future and able to replace the controller heads and the related disk shelves.

Due to the extensive system requirements in terms of availability and reliability, Storck turned to its long-term partners NetApp and Computacenter. IT service provider Computacenter has been providing Storck’s IT department with advice and support for its IT projects for several years. Data management specialist NetApp is the only manufacturer which supplies the confectionery and chocolate specialist with storage.

All-flash system can be expanded specifically

“With regard to storage, August Storck KG entered into a strategic partnership with NetApp which has worked exceptionally well over the years”, says Malte Rudolf, Server Infrastructure Team Lead at Storck. In connection with this, he makes reference to NetApp’s MetroCluster systems, which were jointly set up in Halle, Ohrdruf and Berlin, before going on to mention two NetApp high-availability systems. In Halle, Storck operates SAP Hana on these systems in order, for example, to use the Business Warehouse (BW) for analyzing large amounts of data in real time. In addition, an FAS6250 MetroCluster is used for the remaining SAP systems and as a central archiving system.

At the beginning of 2017, an AFF A700 all-flash system was installed in Halle for the MetroCluster. All-flash is the best solution for fulfilling the requirements of Storck in terms of storage protocols, speeds and volumes. Furthermore, the capacity of the selected system can be expanded specifically, providing sufficient room for maneuver in the future. “With flash, I’m buying performance and availability for the next few years”, Malte Rudolf confidently states. “In terms of primary storage, the development trend is clearly heading in the direction of all-flash. Of course, we can’t let the train fly past us on this one. We have to jump on board”, he stresses, acknowledging: “Performance levels are off the scale.”

The integration partner Computacenter took care of the hardware set-up and storage configuration of the all-flash system. The IT service provider also helped Malte Rudolf’s IT team by providing support when they migrated the data to the Ontap9 data management system largely by themselves. Once the data had been successfully migrated, the previous FAS3250 MetroCluster was dismantled. The in-house IT team now has storage, availability, capacity, performance and data backup in full view thanks to the OnCommand Unified Manager, a tool that warns you as soon as there are any irregularities in the Ontap environment.

Database queries are executed much faster

In view of such conditions, the AFF A700 could be put into operation extremely fast. There were no real challenges to overcome in the implementation and migration processes as both went smoothly. “This speaks volumes for NetApp systems”, Malte Rudolf commented. The technology upgrade to all-flash FAS in the data center in Halle ­consolidated the storage landscape and resulted in the
desired performance improvement. The new installation now also enables Storck to benefit from inline deduplication, a function which has been provided by NetApp’s all-flash FAS arrays for some time now.

Inline deduplication is carried out upon access. “Put simply, the feature searches for data blocks sent in duplicate which it then stores just once. If, for example, two employees want to store the same image, only one writing operation will be conducted on flash. In an infrastructure such as ours, these types of duplicate data blocks are very common”, explains a thrilled Malte Rudolf. The resulting storage efficiency is noticeable. “This technology saves us up to 40 percent of storage capacity”, calculates the Team Lead. He is also impressed with compression and compaction. These are two more in line features which all-flash inherently offers and which save users space on their systems.

What’s more, the new flash generation also considerably shortens latency. Prior to implementation, the IT department carried out some speed measurements in order to test actual performance. “We were really thrilled to see how quick the systems are”, says the IT expert, depicting the impression which the tests left on his IT team.

Users only notice the difference in speed in their normal applications to a limited extent, if even at all. However, database queries, for example, are now executed much more quickly. “In the majority of cases, accessing the storage media takes less than one millisecond. And there are loads of IOPS above 100,000 with latency of less than one millisecond”, reports Malte Rudolf. “Only all-flash FAS ­arrays can achieve that.” As such, the installed all-flash solution provides optimum conditions for migrating the remaining SAP systems and SQL data­bases, which are currently still running on the 6250, to the AFF A700.

The user

August Storck KG has been making high-quality confectionery and delicious chocolates for decades. The company, which started out in 1903 as a confectionery factory, is still a family-owned business to this day and is now one of the world’s ten largest confectionery manufacturers. It sells its products, which include brands such as Toffifee, Merci, Werther’s Original, Knoppers, and nimm2, in 100 countries spread all around the world. More than 5,800 employees work at the German production sites in Berlin-Reinicken-dorf, Halle/Westphalia and Ohrdruf, as well as at international subsidiaries.

Das SAP-Systemhaus Innovabee hat beim Bremer Honig- und Süßstoff-Spezialisten Sonnentracht in sehr kurzer Zeit SAP S/4Hana installiert und zum Laufen gebracht.

For over 100 years, Walter-Lang group has been producing and ­importing honey from every continent on earth, with a special focus on ­organic quality honey specialities. In 2001, Gerrit Lang founded the Sonnentracht GmbH in the city of Bremen, and the company has always cooperated closely with the companies owned by Gerrit‘s father, Walter Lang. In addition to the company‘s own beekeeping operation, it also specializes in the production and bottling of honey, alternative sweeteners and cocoa products, all with the highest varietal purity and sustainability standards. German SAP specialist Innovabee ­recently installed SAP S/4Hana at Sonnentracht and managed to go live with the whole system after only four months.

With organic products subject to very strict quality guidelines, batch tracing is a particularly important ­issue. Gerrit Lang explains, “As a food production company, the issue of traceability is very important. Transparency is called for in every process, from purchasing to production to sale. We are also required to code each individual received good with a batch”.

Up to now, these kinds of special requirements were only possible with extensive IT programming. Now, industry-specific functions such as batch management are standard ­features in the SAP S/4Hana Innovafood food industry solution. This also applies for the barrel management to be used in the subsequent Walter Lang project.

Sonnentracht additionally benefits in its universal business processes such as accounting and sales from the extensive functions and high performance provided by this system. For example, an operation can control its business processes in real-time and call up current analyses at the push of a button. And the ­extremely fast installation of SAP S/4Hana was yet another advantage. Gerrit Lang adds, “Innovabee’s concept ‘SAP flink eingeführt‘ (engl.: SAP installed quickly) is an ­installation method that unites a number of advantages, particularly for mid-sized companies. You receive a high-performance SAP industry-specific solution at a fixed price, streamlined introduction and the fact that you are able to begin working with it productively very quickly”.

Christian Schweizer, the Project Manager at Innovabee, explains, “‘SAP flink eingeführt’ functions ­according to the prototype approach. First, the customer’s specifics are ­recorded. Then, Innovabee carries out the basic settings and provides the agreed structures, functions, processes and forms”. Afterwards, the key users are trained. If adjustments still need to be made, the requirements are fed into the system before the real go-live and conceptualized, realized and tested. This is then ­followed by integration testing, ­acceptance and ensuring the productive workability of the system. All of these steps were completed within only four months.

C. Trautmann

Christian Traumann, Managing Director and Group CFO of the company Multivac, was elected President of trade fair interpack 2020 at the inaugural meeting of the trade show advisory board. In the interpack trade fair years 2014 and 2017, Christian Traumann already held the position of Vice President and, in 2011, the Presidency. Christian Traumann has been working for the Multivac Group since 2002. In February 2015, he was elected Chairman of the German VDMA Food Machinery and Packaging Machinery Association.

Jim Pittas

PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, announces Jim Pittas has assumed the role of President and CEO of PMMI effective 1 February 2018. He succeeds Chuck Yuska, who is retiring after 27 years at the helm but will remain in an advisory role through his official retirement in May. Jim Pittas became Chief Operating Officer in April 2017 after 17 years successfully managing PMMI’s number one member service, Pack Expo trade shows. According to his own words, he strives to build upon the legacy of Chuck Yuska.

Hugo Beck, the world’s leading manufacturer of horizontal flowpack, film packaging and post-print processing machines, has developed its latest flowpack machine to meet the demanding display requirements of the chocolate and confectionery sector.

The Flowpack X-D packaging line from Hugo Beck Maschinenbau, Dettingen/Germany, can be personalized to each customer’s specific needs to deliver perfect results. Recently, it has been designed to produce special display packs that help confectionery packs catch the consumer’s eye. As well as being able to operate with a wide variety of films, the recent machine project uniquely creates a header for the application of a label to deliver maximum on-shelf standout.

The box motion transversal sealing unit on the Flowpack X-D enables a continuous seal for high output whilst simultaneously manufacturing the header, using two transverse sealing profiles to give the finished product its unmistakable appearance. Packs can then be collated using accumulation synchronisation or kept contact-free via cascade belts. At the same time, a colour printed card with product information and a best-before date can be applied to one side of the pack.

Other features of the Flowpack X-D include a film changing machine, a control system for aligning the printed film, a choice of belt types for the intake area, and parts specially designed to allow contact with the product. The system can operate at speeds of up to 200 cycles per minute.

Like all Hugo Beck flowpack machines with continuous motion, the X-D features a servo axis controller MotionControl and the latest generation of Siemens Sinamics converters to ensure high quality packaging and maximum machine uptime, even in a three-shift operation. Intuitive touch screen operation with data storage also ensure ease of use.

System is avialable in numerous variants

“Flowpack machines are ideal for packaging in the confectionery sector where air-tightness and stability of the final product are essential,” comments Timo Kollmann, Hugo Beck’s Sales Director. “No matter the product or the dimensions, our Flowpack X-D machine is able to be personalized to each customer’s specific needs to deliver the perfect results.”

The Hugo Beck range of flowpack machines offers a choice of models to meet a wide variety of confectionery pack requirements using many different types of films, including hot- and cold-sealable, metallized, paper-coated and composite films. The company also has particular experience in the use of extremely fine and transparent polyolefin film, used in shrink wrap applications.

Thanks to the machines’ intelligent servo drive technology and the modularity of all construction components, as well as the ability to link securely with upstream and downstream production units, a wide range of packaging types can be produced. In particular, the use of special transversal and longitudinal sealing elements allows the creation of special formats such as eight-cornered packs with a tear-open strip, and diamond-shaped designs with an overlapping welding seam or ground ionisation, all of which can be shrunk tightly without creases.

A member of the senior management team for many years, Dr Karl Gschwend, Managing Director Strategic Projects, has left Hochdorf Group on reaching retirement age at the end of January 2018. Dr Gschwend took over as head of the group’s plant in Hochdorf/Switzerland in 1998. Following the purchase of a further plant in Sulgen, he took over interim management of Schweiz. Milchgesellschaft AG. From 2006 to 2014, as managing director of Hochdorf Nutritec Ltd, he was responsible for both plants in Hochdorf and Sulgen.

Haas Group, the global market leader in the field of wafer, cookie, and confectionery production systems, is now part of Bühler Group. After obtaining the approval of the relevant antitrust authorities, the transaction was closed in January 2018.

Whereas this strategic acquisition enables Bühler to complete its Consumer Foods product portfolio, Haas now benefits from the resources of the global Bühler organization, in particular its approximately 100 service stations and its innovation network. “This means we are opening a new chapter in the Consumer Food market, and we feel confirmed by the broad approval that we have received from many customers and employees,” says Bühler CEO Stefan Scheiber.

With its global workforce of 1,750 employees, wafer and cookie machinery specialist Haas generates annual sales of about EUR 300 m and operates its own production sites in six countries. By closing the transfer of the Haas company to Bühler, the former owners want to ensure the long-term success of the company’s business.

Paper sacks offer optimum product protection for the packaging of powdered products like flour or powdered milk. In addition, manufacturers have guaranteed full traceability to offer their customers total product safety.

Paper sacks are being recalled extremely infrequently”, says Dag Kretschmer, member of Gemein­schaft Papiersackindustrie e. V. (Gem­PSI), the German association of paper sack manufacturers. “The most common instance is during an audit. Here, we demonstrate to the customer that we can guarantee full traceability.”

This traceability obligation is based on EU regulation No. 178/2002 which lays down general principles and ­requirements of food law that is mandatory in all member countries. All these are specified for packaging in EU framework council regulation 1935/2004, article 17. Accordingly, all packaging manufacturers whose activities are within the delivery chain of foodstuffs must be able to provide information at all times regarding the origin of the packaging materials, when and on which machine it was produced and where it was delivered. Furthermore, traceability is one aspect of DIN ISO 9001, according to which all paper manufacturers in Germany are certified.

Defective products are to be found quickly

“First and foremost, traceability ensures consumer safety,” Dag Kretsch­mer explains. “Foodstuffs must be packed using packaging materials of impeccable quality, so that health and well-being are not endangered by them.” Paper sacks for flour, baking mixes or food additives get in direct contact with their contents. Theoretically, this could mean contamination or the migration of foreign materials into the food.

Sack kraft paper is made exclusively from fresh fibres, and only solvent-free dyes and adhesives are used in paper sack production. The German paper sack industry maintains the highest safety possible, so that no residue from dangerous substances gets into contact with the food. “Even with this, we guarantee traceability so that we can, in the rare event of a customer inquiry, quickly identify any irregularities,” says Dag Kretschmer. “Labelling and detailed documentation of material consumption and goods flows are crucial.”

Raw materials delivered for the manufacture of paper sacks are labelled by the suppliers with clear lot numbers. These numbers flow into the goods management system of the paper sack manufacturer. “So, during paper sack production, a production protocol is made that specifies exactly which material from which lot is used for a certain production order,” Dag Kretschmer explains. “The production is also labelled with lot numbers. These can be plainly visible on the paper sack or hidden somewhere like in a glue seam under the valve or under the stand-up pouch bottoms”.

If the customer has a technical problem with a sack, then the number will indicate when the sack was made, which material was used and which machine it was produced on. The paper sack manufacturer can then verify whether a one-time quality anomaly has occurred or whether other lots could be affected and must be recalled.

Thanks to packaging sizes of a maximum total weight of 25 kg and thus smaller product lots, paper sacks are easy to trace, and defective products can be found quickly. For foodstuffs like powdered milk, the printing of serial numbers even allows full traceability of each individual sack.

Rovema is a winner of iF Design Award 2018, a world-renowned design prize. The winning product, the user interface Rovema HMI, won in the discipline communication in the apps/software category. Each year, the world’s oldest independent design organization, Hannover-based iF International Forum Design GmbH, organizes the award. The competition was intense: over 6,400 entries were submitted from 54 countries in hopes of receiving the seal of quality.

The Rovema HMI won over the 63-member jury, made up of independent experts from all over the world, with its user-centred and process-oriented structure. The touch-optimized user interface is designed for the packaging machinery manufacturer’s machines and systems that are used worldwide for forming, filling, closing, commissioning and shelf-ready final packaging. The intuitive application provides a uniform design for all different machine types. The reduced and consistent design provides a compact display of information, allowing direct and comprehensible communication of process values.

The 4th World Cocoa Conference will be held from 22 to 25 April 2018 in Berlin/Germany. The event is now established as the leading event for the global cocoa sector, bringing together the major players from the value chain, from all over the world. The annual event attracts more than 1,500 participants from about 65 countries, drawn from government agencies, chocolate manufacturers, trading companies, cocoa processors and companies involved in trade logistics, finance and insurance as well as suppliers of agricultural inputs and processing technology.

By bringing together all stakeholders from both producing and consuming countries, the 2018 conference is an ideal forum to examine issues across the value chain. Sharing know-ledge and ideas and making new contacts is one of the key aims of the event, and the conference programme allows ample time for networking. To share ideas informally is just as important as the insights the participants will get from the conference agenda. With this in mind, the organizers have developed a social programme which gives the participants plenty of opportunities to connect with other delegates.

conference.org

This year’s focus of the trade fair appearance of Winkler und Dünnebier Süßwarenmaschinen GmbH (WDS) was the latest generation of the modular designed ConfecEco line (image) for smaller production capacities. Eye-catcher at the booth was a functional ConfecEco-D machine. The ConfecEco machine concept is specially designed for startup companies or small and medium-sized confectionery manufacturers who want to counteract a high manual and labour-intensive share of production by automatic applications in order to increase their turnover. The series consists of three modularly designed execution stages which enable a cost-effective increase in production of high-quality chocolate, pectin, toffee and fondant products. In the latest stage of development, ConfecEco systems have the possibility of starchless moulding into silicone moulds. For users, this means a significant plus, because with pectin, toffee and fondant products, the mass depositing into starch moulds requires a high degree of complexity.

tna has upgraded its flagship NID M3000 mogul (image) to improve operational efficiencies and ensure the equipment adheres to the highest hygiene and safety standards. Since its acquisition of confectionery specialist NID, tna has made some considerable investments to accelerate the development process and equip NID’s starch moulding technology with a range of new features that further increase operational reliability, enhance quality control and improve overall system performance.

As part of the latest upgrade, any internal parts of the feeder and stacker that are in regular contact with starch trays are now manufactured in stainless steel for advanced hygiene and consumer safety. In addition, the new range of NID moguls was specifically engineered to achieve full compliance with the EU’s latest Atex directive on the use of equipment in explosive environments. This has resulted in the incorporation of Atex-certified electrical devices and temperature sensors, and the repositioning and redesign of key mechanical components to mitigate the hazards associated with the handling of starch.

GML03 lab, developed by Bosch, enables jelly testing in smaller volumes, perfect for experimental or seasonal product sampling. It allows manufacturers to upgrade current products and develop new recipes without disrupting their regular production processes. With an exchangeable pump system and a choice of different sizes of servo-controlled pistons, the lab depositor is able to process a wide range of product formulas to produce jellies, hard candies, toffees, fondant and other confectionery masses, including single, one shot, striped and striped with filling. To ensure scalability of the process, the depositor features the same recipe precision and ability to recreate that recipe as found on industrial equipment. With hygienic design high on the agenda, Bosch designed all GML03 parts that get into contact with product from stainless steel – in line with the FDA requirements. By achieving hygienic and authentic production standards, experimental results can be easily transferred to existing machines and systems, reducing time to market.

Plant manufacturer Glatt Ingenieurtechnik will present established processes that help manufacturers to rapidly develop marketable products. From essential oils to vitamins for sports nutrition or dietary supplements, Glatt works closely with its customers to engineer bespoke solutions to produce product samples, scale-up processes and construct economically designed, energy efficient production facilities.

More and more consumers are taking a closer look at whether their favourite brands offer transparency, environmentally friendly manufacturing and a sustainable supply chain. Sophisticated processes such as fluidized bed and spouted bed technologies from Glatt enable ingredient manufacturers to quickly implement modern thinking into sought-after products that meet the expectations of both the food industry and everyday consumers. For example, high-quality powders or mixtures can be transformed into homogenous and highly soluble, porous granules for instant products using spray agglomeration.

Anuga FoodTec, Halle 4.2, Stand A 68

At Anuga FoodTec 2018, Multivac Marking & Inspection will present its comprehensive portfolio of line-capable marking solutions and inspection systems for the food industry. In the area of inspection solutions, the Baseline I 100 X-ray inspection system (image) as well as the I 410 for visual inspection tasks will be shown. The cost-effective entry-level model, the I 100, reliably detects foreign bodies consisting of metal, glass, bone, stone, ceramic or thick plastic. It can also be used for checking the completeness or fill level of packs as well as for checking the integrity of products. The areas of application of the I 410 range from completeness checks on the packs, through to presence and position inspection of the labels, and right up to checking the print. This includes pattern and character recognition, character verification as well as inspection of legibility and codes. Thanks to the high-resolution line scanner and powerful image processing for both top and bottom scanning, it performs highly reliable inspection of pack quality and labelling.

Anuga FoodTec, Halle 9.1, Stand A 20

The packaging of long-shaped products such as pretzel sticks continues to present challenges. The weighing of these types of products is one thing, but to place the portions aligned straight in the packaging through a fully-automated process is another. To achieve this, Multipond has developed a breakthrough solution: a new transfer system with integrated robot technology. It is the world’s first transfer system with integrated robot technology combined with a multihead weigher. The integrated 6-axis articulated arm robot, a fully- programmable arm that moves in all directions, uses its four-point tool to pick-up two lots of two portions from the multihead weigher at the same time and pack them neatly in the trays provided. This used to require a highly-complex
mechanism or even manual intervention. A huge benefit of the transfer system is its flexibility, as each of its numerous motion sequences is freely programmable. The system achieves an output of up to 60 packings per minute, a record for this type of product.

Anuga FoodTec, Halle 7.1, Stand C 88/D 89

Hastamat presents its continuous vertical form fill and seal machine RM-270 for high performance applications in combination with a product transfer system. “With the compact overall height of the unit, we combine high speed with maximum product care”, says Olaf Piepenbrock, Executive Partner of Hastamat’s parent company, the Piepenbrock Group. With their modular stainless steel construction, the machines in hygienic design are optionally available with water and dust protection. Structurally, the drive elements are clearly separated from the product, thus facilitating machine maintenance and cleaning. “With an output of up to 220 bags per minute, the RM-270 effectively covers all formats and bag shapes. Different types of feeding systems and special applications can be flexibly integrated”, specifies Olaf Piepenbrock as further advantages of the machine. Hastamat will show it in combination with a product transfer system that forms the interface with the further machinery in the packaging process.

Anuga FoodTec, Halle 9.1, Stand A 41