The automation industry is constantly changing, and the pressure is stepping up for Bürkert Fluid Control Systems. The past year has been very busy for the company as they strive to keep ahead of the major trends in the food industry. Mike Rodd, Segment Manager Process Control, tells Suzanna Bailey of the latest trends in the food industry and innovative company developments.

According to the list of NSF H1-registered lubricants, the food and beverage manufacturing market is flooded with food grade lubricants (FGLs). So how does a food manufacturer select the right product? Nicolas Joujou, Category Manager – Specialty Fluids at Petro-Canada explains some differences.

Microbiological testing is an essential aspect of any food producer’s job and with speed being a key factor for a business’ profitability; precision and detection time are all-important. Veronique Bert at Vlevico, Belgium tells New Food how they ensure the highest levels of food safety at their plant.

Thorough cleaning to ensure that hygiene standards are met is a fundamental but integral part of a food processor’s many daily tasks. Whether a small- or large-scale operation, cleaning and hygiene considerations are vital to ensure safety of the end product. As manufacturing trends evolve, so too must the techniques that serve them. Mandy Drabwell spoke with Hein Timmerman, Sector Support team leader for EMA, JohnsonDiversey, to learn more.

Conveyor belts are probably one of the original forms of automation in manufacturing plants and today remain crucial to any food production line. But has the automation boom in recent years affected the conveyor belting industry? Mandy Drabwell spoke with Thorleif Brokke at Berndorf Band to find out.

Methods and techniques for food manufacturing are constantly evolving and improving – both in terms of efficiency, effectiveness and hygiene. And conveyor belts (the arteries of the production line) are no different.

Associated British Foods (ABF) is a ?10 billion company comprising a diverse range of food, ingredient and retail groups. With major brands such as Twinings and Ryvita in its portfolio, as well as the retail clothing business, Primark, the ABF ‘mother ship’ has a significant – if lesser known – presence in the world of ingredients. But what of this group?

The French group DANONE is a global company that produces some of the world’s leading dairy, biscuit, cereal and beverage products. With major brands such as LU, Evian and the Danone dairy brand itself, the Group can certainly claim a leading position with regard to consumer favourites. However, DANONE has much greater ambitions for the role of its products, as Nicolas Gausseres, Head of Health & Nutrition Research at the Danone Research Center, explained.

Fluid control systems are at the heart of a food manufacturer’s operations and critical to the speed and efficiency of the production process. As an integral part of one of the world’s leading systems companies, Mike Rodd, Segment Manager, Hygienic and Steam Division, Bürkert Fluid Control Systems is in a privileged position to review the needs of the global food manufacturing industry.