Eric Aasen, product manager, speaks about the company's latest developments.

 

 

IPPE is the primary event on the meat and poultry calendar, connecting customers, suppliers and thought leaders with producers of technology at the very forefront of the industry. At Bosch Packaging Technology, we took this opportunity to open discussions with visitors and our customers in relation to the challenges that they face and how our wide range of packaging solutions can work alongside them to conquer and overcome these hurdles. At Bosch, we develop our latest technologies with our customers' needs at the core.

 

 

 

Bosch's food and confectionery sector accounts for approximately 50% of the packaging division's total revenue. The Confectionery and Food market has a predicted CAGR from 2016 to 2022 of 3.0 % (market volume in 2015: EUR 12.7 billion), and 5.0% for the market of Liquid Food and Beverages (market volume in 2015: EUR 9 billion). As we are among the leading providers of processing and packaging solutions in the food and confectionery markets, our growth goals are aligned with these fast moving industries.

 

 

 

At Bosch we've noticed a shift in the automatisation of the industry, moving from purely mechanical solutions to becoming more and more dependent upon electro-mechanical engineering with an emphasis on servo-driven technology. This shift towards automation allows resources in the labour pool, originally operating on the shop floor, to be reallocated to other tasks. With the development of automated technologies, there has been a shift away from hand-fed equipment to complete system solutions. This transition results in increased speed and higher throughput to meet the continuously growing demands of consumers.

 

In terms of pack styles, consumers globally are now seeking new shapes and sizes, such as single-serve packs perfect for consuming on-the-go to packages that stand-up on their shelf. As a result Bosch has designed many of its solutions to offer flexibility and a wide range of pack-style variants.

On-farm training, as part of service solutions of Lallemand Forward

 

 

Exercising greater control over product safety is a main concern of customers dealing with various types of food products. The latest packaging machinery advancements from Bosch Packaging Technology are designed to the highest hygiene standards with cleanability, versatility and ease of use being the top priorities.

 

From our vertical form, fill and seal portfolio, the hygienic SVC platform, for example, is specifically designed to help food producers address the latest standards imposed on the industry by food safety regulations, such as the recent Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and BRC Version 7, which underline the need for increased hygiene of packaging equipment.

   

In addition, Bosch's SVC platform is constructed using FDA-certified materials and surfaces with slopes of a few degrees to discharge water. The equipment is self-draining to reduce residual liquids which can generate microbial growth and leftover cleaning fluids which can result in product contamination. All of our solutions also focus on overall equipment effectiveness, so it's imperative that our machines are as adaptable as possible to respond to consumer trends and manufacturers' requirements quickly – maximising machine uptime and ensuring quicker return of investment (ROI).

 

 

Consumers young and old around the world will continue their increasing demand for conveniently-packaged fresh food and for food on-the-go. With ever tightening regulations, high-quality packaging technology is key to allowing fresh food manufacturers to take advantage of this growing demand. Fresh food manufacturers will need to update their lines with equipment able to incorporate the latest innovations supporting food safety, and ultimately, brand integrity.

 

At Bosch we are expecting to see an increase in demand for hygienically-designed VFFS (Vertical Form, Fill and Seal) and HFFS (Horizontal Form, Fill and Seal) lines that take product protection to the next level. Along with this trend, there is also an increasing trend for traceability.

 

The global meat snacks market is growing due to increased demand for low calorie and high protein content food products and growing health and fitness awareness among consumers. The meat snacks market consists of various products including jerkies, sticks, and sausages. In addition, consumers are increasingly receptive to the convenience and portability of meat snacks in smaller-pack sizes enabling on-the-go consumption, increasing consumer demand for these types of products. Analysts forecast the global meat snacks market to grow at a CAGR of 8.79% during the period 2016 to 2020.     

 

There are growth opportunities for the global meat industry, particularly in Asia and Africa, according to the Institute of Grocery Development. The CAGR for meat consumption is 13% from 2014 to 2020: Europe 3%, North America 8%, Oceania 11% and Africa 22%. In Asia, consumers focus on quality and provenance of meat which brings us to the topic of traceability or where the meat comes from. With our global footprint Bosch can support this growth, delivering efficient packaging solutions to customers in all regions.

 

In developed regions, food preferences change as do package sizes and styles, so the need for flexibility and ease of changeover is extremely critical. Along with this, Food Safety and the understanding of the exact food content and production location is also increasing in importance. Therefore Bosch is continually shaping its portfolio to address the "food safety" needs for packaging, for example by launching the latest SVC platform.

 

In developing markets we see the demand for more packaged goods as the drive to save food continues to increase. Keeping in mind their needs for economised solutions, Bosch has a range of semi-automated sealing machines, like Doboy band sealer, which will help manufacturers make the first step to automation.