2017 comes with a fresh set of expectations, and trends that are going to continue to change the food processing industry. We at Cemcorp strongly believe in evolution and taking cues from the world around us to improve, automate and streamline. Take a look at what trends are emerging and what you should watch out for:
1. Innovative solutions to drive down costs: the pressure to cut costs could be coming from you at all sides, and really impact how and what you do in terms of your food processing. Cut costs by standardizing equipment and exploring automation.
2. Energy efficiency: saving energy is an easy way to not only save time and money, but save the environment. By reducing energy consumption, you can reduce costs and increase margins.
3. A refrigeration strategy: refrigeration compliance has been generating a lot of buzz lately. The move towards more natural options helps reduce your carbon footprint. New technologies and developments are emerging, including embracing CO2 instead of ammonia for cost saving benefits.
4. Organic: the move to organic is really popular these days, and consumers are pushing manufacturers to produce cleaner products that are more natural, minimally processed and not genetically modified. Focusing on transparency is key to increasing sales.
5. Globalization: reaching a new audience by manufacturing a diverse group of products and foods can increase demand and bring in new customers. The specialty food market is growing, as the interest in new flavours also grows. Immigrants continue to acculturate and their food traditions are becoming more mainstream.
6. Tighter Regulations:
- Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) – Just like other industries have the quality control standards for best practices, the food industry has GMP. This includes certifications and programs to ensure that the food is handled properly and that proper sanitization practices are observed. In Canada, this is strictly regulated by the Canadian and Provincial Food Inspection Agencies.
- Waste Water management is becoming an issue as the municipalities are pushing harder than ever before for industry to make improvements on their wastewater management processes and may require you to install additional treatment solutions.
- Worker safety is always a top priority for our clients. The WSIB sets insurance rates based on your companies past safety performance and the Ministry of Labour enforces strict regulations outlined in the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Want help with any of the above? We work with many clients on streamlining their food processing. We specialize in complete plant designs for a wide range of industries, including dairy, confectionery, bakeries, wineries, soft drinks and more. Working start to finish on all aspects of manufacturing and processing, we can help with reactors, mixers, vacuum pans, feed tubes, blending systems, batch and evaporators.
Packaging, automation and meeting the strict food quality requirements are also things we can help with. We recently worked with Redpath Sugar on some wet scrubber dust collection system improvements. Changes in the design of their equipment were made to prevent sugar dust from collecting and getting into the air. With our help, changes in the design of their process were made and improved.
What are your goals for 2017?
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