2

FIVE NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR

INSPECTION
Quality is assured by the tools of inspection, and food and
beverage manufacturers are beneficiaries of a steady
progression to bring inspection closer to the point of
production.
In-line and at-line inspection is a long-running objective in
food processing, although higher throughput rates have turned
it into more of an imperative than a goal. As production speeds
ramp up, lab testing looks more and more like a luxury the
industry can ill afford. The rework and scrap created by the
time that lab samples flag a problem are a serious drag on

Metal detectors are the most

common in-line inspection devices in
food plants, and the technology is
getting better, with fewer false
positives and superior detection
capabilities.

optimized production.
Sophisticated rotational viscometers for rheological and

" Identifying the problem with an

texture measurements are built by Brookfield Engineering

in-line test would be even better,

Laboratories Inc., in Middleboro, Mass. They provide

and the inspection tools for that

important quality data for both Newtonian and non-Newtonian

exist.

fluids, the latter of which includes most foods. For example,

multiples higher, "and you need a

makers of salad dressings must be mindful of yield stress, the

person to be a champion to promote

force needed to get the dressing to flow out of a bottle. Quality

in-line testing," he observes.

The

cost,

however,

is

control must monitor the stress level to avoid producing

dressing that either gushes out or refuses to flow.
Robert McGregor, Brookfield's general manager of global
marketing and high-end instrument sales, characterizes the
firm's benchtop devices as "relatively inexpensive," despite
features like an on-board smart phone that "can send messages
and tell you when you're out of spec.

Las pruebas de laboratorio siempre

ser el estndar de oro en la
inspeccin de alimentos, pero el
aumento de las tasas de rendimiento
estn llevando a ms de garanta de
calidad en el punto de produccin.

3
"Computerized benchtop equipment is great for
the Rand D lab," allows Bill Hughes, an
engineer and founder of Innoquest Inc.,
Woodstock, Ill., but the time lag between the
lab and the loading dock can be too great.
Five years ago, he developed a handheld
device to quantify the consistency of semi-solid
foods that require a quantitative test before
they

ship.

He

dubbe

ditthe

Spot

On

consistometer.
The tool was developed specifically for
vegetable

shortening

and

margarine

manufactured by Bunge North America, which

Hyperspectral imaging can flag cut

potatoes with sugar-deprived ends that
will turn black when fried. Key
Technology is integrating hyperspectral
systems into sortation equipment to
remove those cuts before they become
fries.

had exclusive rights to Hughes' consistometer

until last year. The device combines manual
force with on-board diagnostics: The user
plunges a rod into the food material, and the
device measures penetration resistance and
correlates it with depth and temperature. An
infrared depth sensor calculates the probe's
speed of penetration, and if the user exerts too
much or too little force, a measurement is not
recorded. Typically, an operator masters the
proper force after five probes, according to
Hughes.
Measures of consistency, temperature and
depth

are

displayed

on

an

LED

panel

connected to the device's microprocessor.

Data are recorded and downloadable.

The density of semi-solids such as

shortening is a quality spec that can be
tested at the line instead of the lab with
the consistometer developed by
Innoquest Inc.

4
Edible oils and margarine are placed in a
hardening room after processing, and when
consistency is in spec, pallets are released.
Sometimes, there will be an area on the pallet
where product is out of spec.
Testing with a consistometer identifies where that
area is and allows processors to optimize storage
time. Ice cream, whipped toppings and specialty
dough are among the semi-hard foods Hughes
believes could benefit from his inspection tool.

Double-duty inspection
While quality data are essential for process control,
inspection hardware often is viewed as a riskmanagement tool against negative outcomes. When
inspection

is

combined

with

value-added

function, capital costs are easier to justify. One

example

is

the

BioPrint

system

that

Key

Technology Inc., Walla, Walla, Wash., recently

added to its portfolio.
Key acquired erstwhile competitor Visys NV in
February, complementing Keys belt-fed sorters
with the Belgian firm's chute-fed in-air sorters.
More importantly, Key acquired advanced laser
technology

and

hyperspectral-based

BioPrint

capabilities for its technology tool kit. Visys's

Cayman chute has a concave shape that turns "a
free fall into a controlled fall," explains John
Kadinger, Key's marketing manager. By positioning
ejector valves closer to the product passing through
the chute, there are fewer false rejects, which
means yield is increased.

5
EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES FOR
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Emerging

technologies

such

as

high-pressure

processing (HPP) are now well established for achieving

products with 'fresh' like properties, but with a shelf life of
weeks or months rather than days. Products processed in
this way to increase shelf life include juices, dips, and
dairy products.
More recently, technologies such as HPP and power
ultrasound are being used to change the properties of
foods, to give an improved or novel product. Examples
with HPP include a decrease in oil uptake during frying,
increased tenderisation of meat, and improved gel
formation in cheese, resulting in an increased yield. Power
ultrasound can be used for a variety of applications,
including increasing yield in the extraction of caffeine,
sugar or other components, the production of emulsions
using less emulsifier, and decreasing viscosity. We have
recently investigated viscosity changes in mushroom
sauce, a gelatinised starch preparation and a fruit
preparation.

Las

Benefits of HPP and power ultrasound

como el procesamiento de alta presin

To investigate the possible benefits of using HPP and

power ultrasound for your product development and
quality improvement needs, come and make use of our

tecnologas

emergentes,

(HPP) estn bien establecidas para

lograr productos con "fresco" como
propiedades, pero con una vida til de
semanas o meses en lugar de das.

pilot scale HPP and power ultrasound equipment as well as

our expertise in these areas.

tales

QUALITY
ASSURANCE
Of all functions in the food industry, Quality
Assurance (QA) requires many diverse technical
and analytical skills. QA personnel continually
monitor incoming raw milk and finished milk
products to insure compliance with compositional
standards, microbiological standards, and various
government regulations. A QA manager can halt
production, refuse acceptance of raw material, or
stop the shipment if specifications for a product or
process are not met. This department does not

Special

usually have control over the product unless

complaints,

something has gone wrong.

personnel training, short courses, etc.

The major functions of the QA Department are:

A typical control department quality

Compliance

with

Legal

should have a chemistry laboratory, a

requirements,

industry

internal

laboratory inspection of raw materials,

specifications
standards,

problems

sensory

production

laboratory

Customer
problems,

company standards, shelf-life tests, customers'

and

specifications.

microbiology laboratory. All these

Test procedures Testing of raw materials, finished

disciplines work together to ensure that

products, and in-process tests.

the food we eat is of the highest

Sampling schedules Utilize a suitable sampling

quality. After all, it is the quality of

schedule to maximize the probability of detection

what you bring a customer back again

while minimizing workload.

and again.

Records and reporting Maintain all QA records

so that customer complaints and legal problems

Un gerente de control de calidad

can be dealt with.

puede

Trouble shooting Solve various problems caused

rechazar la aceptacin de la materia

by poor quality raw materials, erratic supplies and

prima, o detener el envo si no se

malfunctioning process equipment; and investigate

cumple con las especificaciones de un

reasons for poor quality product to avoid repetition.

producto o proceso

detener

la

produccin,

7
FOOD PACKAGING
From gourds to sea shells to animal skin. Later came
pottery, cloth and wooden containers. These packages
were created to facilitate transportation and trade.
Utilizing modern technology, todays society has
created an overwhelming number of new packages
containing a multitude of food products. A modern
food package has many functions, its main purpose
being to physically protect the product during
transport. The package also acts as a barrier against
potential spoilage agents, which vary with the food
product. For example, milk is sensitive to light;
therefore, a package that provides a light barrier is
necessary. The milk carton is ideal for that. Other
foods like potato chips are sensitive to air because the

The food industry utilizes four basic

oxygen in the air causes rancidity. The bags

packaging materials: metal, plant matter

containing potato chips are made of materials with

(paper and wood), glass and plastic. A

oxygen-barrier properties. Practically all foods should

number of basic packaging materials are

be protected from filth, microorganisms, moisture and

often combined to give a suitable package.

objectionable odors. We rely on the package to offer

The fruit drink box is an example where

that protection.

plastic, paper and metal are combined in

Aside from protecting the food, the package serves as

a laminate to give an ideal package. This

a vehicle through which the manufacturer can

concept can be easily seen in your peanut

communicate

Nutritional

butter jar. The main package containing the

information ingredients and often recipes are found on

food (primary package) is made of glass

a food label. The package is also utilized as a

(or plastic), the lid is made of metal lined

marketing tool designed to attract your attention at the

with plastic, and the label is made of paper.

store. This makes printabilityan important property

Each

of a package.

advantages and disadvantages.

with

the

consumer.

basic

packaging

material

has

8
Metal is strong and a good overall
barrier, but heavy and prone to corrosion.
Paper is economical and has good printing
properties; however, it is not strong and it
absorbs water. Glass is transparent, which
allows the consumer to see the product, but
breakable. Plastics are versatile but often
expensive.

Therefore, combining the

basic materials works well in most cases.

So, for a product like milk, which is an
essential food for children and young
adults and therefore cannot be very
expensive, paper makes a good economical
material. It also provides a good printing
surface. However, since paper absorbs
water, it will gain moisture from the milk,
get weaker and fail, thereby exposing the
milk to spoilage factors. It may even break
and waste the product. When a thin layer
of a plastic called polyethylene is utilized
to line the inside of the milk carton, it
serves as a barrier to moisture and makes

The plastics industry is helping to facilitate

consumer recycling by identifying the type of
plastic from which the container is made.
A number from 1 to 7 is placed within the
recycling logo on the containers bottom. For
example, 1 refers to PET (Polyethylene
Terephthalate), the plastic used for the large 2
liter soft drink bottles. Plastics have the
advantage of being light.

an economical, functional package.

This helps to

conserve fuel during transport and also reduces

the amount of package waste.
The plastics industry is helping to

There are many interesting packaging concepts

facilitate

by

being explored by the industry to keep up with

identifying the type of plastic from which

the changing life style of the consumer and

the container is made.

new technologies.

consumer

recycling

La

industria

cuatro

alimentaria

materiales

utiliza

bsicos

de

embalaje: metal, de materia vegetal

(papel

madera),

vidrio

plstico. Una serie de materiales de

embalaje bsicas se combinan a
Many professionals are involved in
designing and manufacturing the modern
package. Today's package is designed with
the consumer's safety and convenience in
mind. Examples are microwaveable popcorn
packages, squeezable ketchup bottles and
the tamper-proof milk bottle cap.

menudo
adecuado

para

dar

un

paquete

10

THE IMPACT OF THE

RUSSIAN SANCTIONS ON
FOOD AND AGRIBUSINESS
The ban was documented by the Presidents
Edict No. 560 dated August 6, 2014 and the
Governments Decree No. 778 dated August 7,
2014. The Decree specifies types of banned
products, which include: meat and poultry, fish
and seafood, milk and milk products (including
cheese), vegetables, fruits, nuts as well as some
other foods and ready-made meals. The
restrictive measures do not include wine and
spirits, cereals, pasta, olive oil, baby food and
beverages. The ban is imposed for the duration
of one year, but can be revisited earlier, if
appropriate.
Russian Customs
commenced implementation immediately on
August 7 with no grace period or carveouts for
existing contracts. It has been reported that some
suppliers had to recall deliveries which were
already on their way to the Russian border. Some
EU agricultural businesses sought to import their
goods through Switzerland, but Swiss authorities
have not allowed this.

There were also a number of attempts to

circumvent the ban by re-labelling foods
originating from EU sources as coming from
Belarus for the purpose of their further import
into Russia. According to the customs
authorities, numerous shipments were stopped
at the Russian border because of such
violations.
In addition to public law implications, the ban
affects many private relationships, including
contractual relationships underpinning the sale
of banned products both with foreign
suppliers and the resale contracts within Russia
as well as auxiliary contracts (such as
contracts for transportation, storage, insurance
and credit facilities). Nonetheless, there does
not seem to be a flow of Russian litigation cases
arising out of the agricultural products ban in
the Russian courts at the moment.

11
In September and October, the Russian Federal Service for
Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing
(Rospotrebnadzor) imposed various temporary restrictions
on the import of foods not affected by the governmental
ban. This includes a prohibition on the import of various
meat by-products from the EU, meat from Moldova (in
addition to the already restricted importation of fruits from
Moldova) as well as nearly all foods from the Ukraine.
These temporary restrictions were imposed due to alleged
violations of Russian consumer-protection legislation and
product safety law.
While legally the Rospotrebnadzors restrictions are
unrelated to the governmental anti-sanctions agricultural
ban, the timing of these new restrictive measures puts
additional pressure on agricultural businesses in the EU,
Moldova and the Ukraine.
Following Russias import ban of EU agricultural products,
the EU established a task force of Commission experts to
assess the situation from both the European perspective
and international markets for each product covered by the
Russian sanctions. Dacian Ciolo, the EU Commissioner
for Agriculture and Rural Development made a number of
statements regarding the import ban and has confirmed that
the EU is working closely with Member States to monitor
market prices for every product in every Member State
each week.

Potential trade advantage to unaffected

countries.
The EU is concerned that Latin
American countries and other countries
not affected by the ban such as Turkey
and Belarus will profit from the gap left
by the EU, US, Norway and Australia.
It has been reported that the EU may be
planning to meet with the relevant
authorities from countries that could
potentially supplement EU exports and
indicate to those countries that it would
not expect them to profit unfairly from
the current situation. It is thought that
the EU

will also

emphasise

the

importance of a united front in relation

to the situation in the Ukraine.

12

The EU has not made a formal statement in

relation to this and several Latin American
countries and trade groups have already
declared that the sanctions imposed by Russia
will offer them a trade advantage. For
example, Brazil has permitted 90 new meat
plants to begin exporting chicken, beef and
pork to Russia. Brazils Secretary for

Supply contracts
As a result of the Russian import ban being
implemented with immediate effect, EU
companies that have contracted with Russian
companies to supply foods affected by the
sanctions face a difficult choice if the contract
does

not

contain

suitable

contractual

protection. Companies can choose to either:

Agricultural Policy stated recently that

Russia has the potential to be a large

comply with Russian sanctions and breach

consumer of agricultural commodities, not

their contractual obligations to supply goods or

just meat. Chile is also set to benefit from

Russias ban on the import of European fish.

try to satisfy their contractual obligations and

risk breaching Russian sanctions.

In particular, longer term contracts with force

majeure or frustration clauses that do not make
specific reference to sanctions may allow
Russian counterparties to argue that the
company is in breach of contract if it fails to
supply goods. It is currently unclear how
Russia intends to police the import ban.

13
Impact of the export restrictions
In general, it is expected that the EU will be the
region which is most affected by the targeted
restrictions as 73 per cent of the banned imports come
from the EU. This is unsurprising given that the EU
represents the vast majority of Russias total imports
from the countries impacted by the sanctions. Within
the EU, it is expected that Germany, Spain and Poland
will be the countries most affected by the ban.
In 2013, total EU agricultural exports to Russia were
worth 11.3 billion. The estimated value of exports
affected by the ban in the EU is 5.1 billion or 45% of
the total. Some food sectors will be affected more by
the measures than others, most notably the dairy and
fisheries sectors. Last year, these exports to Russia were
worth 2.3 billion and 199 million respectively.

14
REFERENCIAS

http://www.nortonrosefulbright.com/knowledge/publications/123766/the-impact-of-the-russian-sanctions-onfood-and-agribusiness
http://www.foodprocessing.com/articles/2013/inspection-technologies/
http://www.campdenbri.co.uk/news/emerging-technologies-product-development.php
http://www.ift.org/Knowledge-Center/Learn-About-Food-Science/Become-a-Food-Scientist/Introduction-tothe-Food-Industry/Lesson-3/Packaging.aspx
http://www.ift.org/Knowledge-Center/Learn-About-Food-Science/Become-a-Food-Scientist/Introduction-tothe-Food-Industry/Lesson-1/Quality-Assurance.aspx

Universidad Centooccidental Lisandro Alvarado

Programa de Ingeniera Agroindustrial.
Decanato de Agronoma.
Barquisimeto- Lara.
Venezuela.

Autores:
Madylein Lameda.
Jorge Vsquez.
Yoiber Uranga.
Simn Urbina.

EDICION 1