PC-MAR24-PG46-47.1_Layout 1 05/03/2024 12:19 Page 46


WEIGHING & INSPECTION ACCURATE INSPECTION


FOR MEAT ALTERNATIVES Find out the advantages meat substitute producers can gain from the latest weighing and inspection technologies from Minebea Intec


now eat a flexitarian diet, i.e. eat meat only occasionally, seven percent are vegetarian and one percent are vegan (BMEL Nutrition Report 2022). Animal welfare, environmental protection and health are some of the main reasons for giving up meat. The global market for plant-based meat alternatives is already worth billions and is growing at double-digit rates. These developments mean companies are already fighting for market share. In this sector, start-ups and traditional meat producers are competing with consumer goods multinationals like Nestlé and Unilever. Many companies are making targeted investments in their production facilities to keep up with the high demand. However, the current challenges such as supply bottlenecks and increased energy costs are not leaving these companies unscathed. Maximum efficiency and the greatest possible conservation of resources along the entire value chain from production to packaging are more important today than ever before.


M


As in the entire food industry, hygiene and product quality are of crucial importance in the production of plant-based meat alternatives. Contamination or foreign bodies in the vegetarian or vegan foods and the associated product recalls can not only be expensive and damage trust in the brand and the company, but above all endanger the health of consumers. At the same time, cost savings, sustainability and high throughput are important issues in the industry.


In order to come as close as possible to the traditional steak or burger in terms of shape, consistency, taste, smell and mouthfeel, the highest quality standards are required in production. The recipes often consist of more than 30 individual components - be it different flavourings or fibre structures of fruit seeds, pulses or vegetable peelings. To bring the ingredients together in the right proportions,


46 MARCH 2024 | PROCESS & CONTROL


eat consumption patterns have changed significantly in recent years. In Germany, for example, 44 percent


companies work with automated mixing systems equipped with high-precision load cells from Minebea Intec. "Our weighing solutions guarantee accurate, continuous, fast and flexible dosing processes and minimise material losses," says Yannick Salzmann, Global Product Manager at Minebea Intec. The weighing solutions can be easily integrated into the production lines of manufacturing companies as an OEM solution. "Our Novego weighing module was developed specifically for tank and process vessel weighing in the food and pharmaceutical industries," continued Salzmann. "The hygienic all-in-one solution offers a variety of innovative features for easy, error-free installation as well as maximum resistance to lateral forces." The module ensures process reliability, measurement accuracy and fast cleaning processes. The corrosion resistance of the stainless steel, as well as the product design oriented towards the guidelines of the EHEDG, make the weighing module insensitive to dirt, water and even aggressive cleaning agents.


When the mixing process is complete and the products are on the conveyor belts, Minebea Intec's dynamic checkweighers come into play. "With the help of dynamic checkweighers, companies can optimise their


production processes, improve material and resource management


and increase the accuracy and consistency of production processes," says Lars-Henrik Bierwirth, Product Manager at Minebea Intec. "Our Flexus checkweigher [pictured] is the ideal solution for the highest product quality - regardless of whether customers want to check product weight or completeness or optimise their filling and sorting processes." High-resolution EMFR load cell technology and a customised design guarantee precise weighing results and high throughputs of up to 600 pieces per minute. The checkweigher integrates effortlessly into existing production environments. Changing


line configurations and rapid product changes are handled quickly and easily. Optional stainless steel tables make the Flexus checkweigher easy and safe to clean. In addition to checkweighing, foreign object inspection plays an important role in the meat substitute industry. The new metal detector Mitus, with the innovative MiWave technology, enables precise detection of metallic foreign bodies even with the largest product effects, which can occur frequently, especially with meat-type products. With MiWave, a multitude of frequencies are modulated onto the transmitted signal, which are then separated and evaluated separately by an intelligent algorithm. With the help of this separation, the products can be inspected symbolically from several perspectives. Due to this increased information content, high search sensitivities can be achieved despite large product effects. The result for producers: maximum product safety and maximum output. The Mitus metal detector is available in standard sizes as a rectangular, round or compact detection coil as well as a free-fall and pipeline application, so that it can be integrated into production facilities even where space is limited. The metal detector can also be easily combined with additional weighing technology if required.


As plant-based meat alternatives are made from a variety of ingredients, unwanted parts such as shell remnants may end up in the products during raw material preparation. To identify these tiny foreign bodies and remove the contaminated products, many companies rely on Minebea Intec's X-ray inspection systems. Minebea Intec offers a complete portfolio of X-ray systems for the inspection of packaged products. Typical applications include cartons, boxes, bags, pouches, trays and portion packs, which can contain a wide variety of dry or liquid food products. The Dylight and Dymond models have been specially developed for these applications. They feature a hygienic design in accordance with EHEDG principles and high detection sensitivities with low power consumption.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58