We crossed the Hohenzollern Bridge from our hotel by the Hautbahnhoff in Cologne over to Koelnmesse on the opposite bank of the Rhine. Shaun stopped to snap a cormorant by a statue halfway across the bridge and we discussed the day ahead.
By midday, I’d said hello to Volker de Cloedt, Christine Hackmann and Peter Grothues of Koelnmesse, who all hoped that the German security strike at German airports would not affect attendance. It didn’t! Professor Dr Buckenhueskes of the German Agriculture Society (DLG) was preparing for the press tour of leading companies, which went well.
Andrew Wildey and I chatted to Gerald Schubert about the latest news from Gerhard Schubert and the fact that he holds a pilot’s licence that enables him to fly the company’s small plane direct to client visits saving around 50 days a year in the time taken to travel.
Several attractive pouch packs are being highlighted by MesPack where, Bart Gilbers, area manager showed me the recent introduction by Nestlé in China – an attractively shaped pouch with spout and slight ‘handle’ for ease of pouring. The bright green pack looks like it contains fresh orange juice with added vitamins, but in fact contains a powder for diluting a very fresh and compelling looking beverage container and just one of the collaborative projects that MesPack has worked on recently.
End-of-line packaging was the focus for Mariani and Meypack, who were showing just how sturdy and attractive reduced material, shelf-ready packs could be. (Read more about shelf-ready packaging solutions in Food & Beverage International May issue.)
An in-depth update at both JBT FoodTech stands revealed the extent of innovations available to companies in need of freezing, cooking, portioning, filling, retorting or other processes. Gert Nilsson, international sales director, JBT FoodTech, Sweden, discussed the company’s new FrigoBelt Nova concept that runs quicker and colder than ever before and enables companies to have their freezer meet their forming machine capacity. And its Double D oven technology can help manufacturers produce reduced fat protein products. In Hall 6, Tim Briggs, Matt Sakal, Luca Monica, and Jan Windey talked me through the energy savings JBT FoodTech can achieve on retorts using its ceramic-based coating, and its one-shot technology for filling liquids with particles.
At last, it was time for the big event of the day: the Tetra Pak press conference, stand tour, Q&A with experts, and night on the town (Geoff Platt, editor of Dairy Innovation, joined me there mid-evening fresh from his Eurostar trip across Europe).
During the conference, Dennis Jönsson, president & CEO, provided insight into Tetra Pak’s performance during the past six years, since it was absent from the previous Anuga FoodTec. Progress in the company’s processing divisions has been impressive, with packaging still holding its own but continuing to be challenged by the convenience of plastic.
This seeming lead that plastic has in the area of convenience has been tackled with force by Tetra Pak and its innovative design teams led by Michael Grosse, executive vice president development & service operations, who revealed two new portion packs based on the Tetra Brik Aseptic Edge design, and a tear-off opening for on-the-go convenience to its Tetra Top Carton Shot range. He teased us with the attractive new droplet package design, as well as the two new profiles for the Tetra Gemina Aseptic range, which will be available commercially towards the end of this year.
Demonstrating its lead in processing technology, Tetra Pak showed us the high-tech activity in the control centre of its vast stand. From a vast glass atrium, we could see not only the activities throughout the stand, including the active kitchen demonstrating the food and beverages already benefiting from Tetra Pak expertise, but also the overview of plant operations possible using Tetra Pak software technology. By linking its new user-friendly control system to the Tetra Pak PlantMaster, the company can give manufacturers a bird’s eye view of its operations.
Four specific solutions are being showcased at the show: Tetra Pak´s iLine XT factory-wide integration, eBeam contact-free sterilisation, the Hyperspeed filling machine concept and intuitive control software, each representing a significant step forward in liquid packaging technology.
“Individually, they will bring tremendous benefits to our customers, while collectively they signal a new era in terms of cost, efficiency and environmental performance,” said Grosse. “These technologies underscore our commitment to develop what our customers need … and help them gain a decisive competitive edge in a world of fast-changing demands and ever-higher expectations.”
“Anuga FoodTec is the world’s leading trade fair for the food and beverage industry, and we are proud to be taking our place at this incredible show,” said Jönsson. “As Tetra Pak celebrates 60 successful years in the packaging and processing business, Anuga FoodTec provides us with the perfect platform both to showcase our unrivalled portfolio and to launch some of our latest innovations. Visitors to our stand will see processing and packaging solutions that not only address our customer needs today, but also anticipate their needs of the future.”
The activity will continue, and more will be covered later on FoodBev.com and in the next issues of Food & Beverage International, *Beverage Innovation,* Dairy Innovation, *Water Innovation* and in the digital issues. Now I’m back off to the exhibition halls.
Claire Rowan is editor of Food & Beverage International
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