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Drinktec Munich 2017
Healthier nutrition, new regulations, changes in cleaning processes: The international beverage industry is facing major challenges. The collaboration of diverse players in the market is crucial for answers. Freudenberg Sealing Technologies (FST) has now ignited the spark for productive cooperation: a Round Table event at drinktec 2017 in Munich.
More than 1,700 exhibitors from 75 countries gathered at the leading trade fair for the beverage and liquid food industry. On more than 150,000 square meters of space, they shed light on food and beverage theme, covering everything from production to bottling and packaging, all the way to marketing. Outside the trade fair’s hubbub, international experts met on just 150 square meters of space and exchanged views on the challenges they share.
The trade magazine “Soft Drinks International” provided guidance for the event, and Eric Partington of the European Hygienic Engineering and Design Group (EHEDG) UK & Ireland, served as moderator. As he led the discussions, about 30 top representatives of Freudenberg customers talked about current issues. One of the most urgent: What’s next for China?
Chinese Wall of Regulations
The People’s Republic is a key market. To cite just one example: China is the second-thirstiest consumer of German beer exports (about 257,000 tons in 2016, according to Statista). But now there are international concerns: Will this market be inaccessible for a time in the near future? On October 19, 2017, the new regulations GB 4806.1-2016 and GB 9685-2016 go into effect. They vary fundamentally from EU and US law, and their gray areas offer ample room for speculation.
“That is a major challenge for us all,” said Michael Littig, Sales Director Europe Market Sector Process Industries. The white list for materials authorized for the food packaging area is very demanding, he said, and the Round Table confirmed his view. The already achieved level of quality cannot be maintained with components that match this list, he said. So what now?
Experts’ Lively Debate
Participants were murmuring “impossible” on one side – only to provoke a proposal for a solution from the other side. A lively debate developed in which experts openly argued – with the goal of getting results. An interjection from the U.S. here, and an addition from Italy there. Exactly what was hoped for.
“We would like to exchange opinions and views on industry trends with our customers and thus gain valuable insights about the demands on their machines and our seals,” said Nicole Schneider, Vice President Global Market Sector Process Industries at Freudenberg Sealing Technologies.
Healthier, Higher Quality, More Sustainable
Consumers are a key factor here. Their preferences affect product lines and thus the upstream production and bottling processes to a high degree. For example, the craft movement is becoming more important. Breweries are working with numerous diverse ingredients and are putting new demands on seals. Due to changes of this kind, cleaning processes and the materials used in them are changing as well.
The trend toward healthier drinks and consumers' desires for ethical production and environmentally conscious sustainability are also making adaptations necessary. “It makes a difference whether an artificial concentrate or a natural puree comes into contact with our seals,” Schneider said.
Innovations Made by Freudenberg
Freudenberg Sealing Technologies (FST), the leading market and technology specialist in the sealing field, is already facing these future challenges. At drinktec, FST presented technical innovations tailored to the food and beverage field, including a new kind of clamp seal with a defined stop. This new, original product now closes flush with the tube and eliminates hard-to-clean dead spaces – a critical factor particularly in the food and process industries.
Furthermore, the Simmerring® – a successful Freudenberg product for 85 years – is now available in food-grade materials. And visitors to the FST stand examined yet another innovation: the monitored seal, which observes itself and communicates its level of wear precisely.
Surrounded by these innovations, the lively discussion moved from the Round Table to the FST stand without further ado and transitioned into a relaxed party – after all, it’s okay for the search for solutions to be fun.
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