Bosch: Food industry is catching up to pharmaceuticals in hygienic design

The food industry is also catching up to the pharmaceutical industry in terms of hygienic design.

Increase of H&S standards​

Friedbert Klefenz, president, Bosch Packaging Technology, which is exhibiting at Interpack this week (May 8-14), told FoodProductionDaily we can expect to see more automation and hygienic design of equipment used in the food industry.

“We are already seeing more health and safety standards for packing food, regulations to make it easier to maintain equipment and machinery design specifications, such as recommendations that the surface should be even, to requirements on the materials used and certifications by the FDA (US Food & Drug Administration)​,” he said.

“While it is good to protect food from dirt and bacteria, it’s something we’ve been doing in the pharmaceutical industry already, which is much more advanced than the food industry in terms of standards and different conditions, much more higher. These standards are now filtering across into the food industry​.”

Klefenz said as part of the company’s 2020 Vision it wants to reach €1.5bn by 2015 and plans to grow the business across its services and packaging materials portfolio focusing more on process technology.

“We are broadening Bosch Packaging Technology’s international presence, particularly in emerging markets. Our company is playing a pioneering role in opening up new markets, for instance in Africa​, ” he said.

2020 Vision​

“Our 2020 Vision is to focus on process technology not just packaging but process machinery for the food industry to produce confectionery products and industrial kitchen equipment for candy and chocolate.​”

Bosch Packaging Technology will showcase several technologies at Interpack 2014 including its CCM 3100 case packer for vertical and horizontal bag presentation, which is making its European debut after being launched in North America.

The FVS auger filler and SVC 2620, vertical bagger; Sigpack RN vertical sachet machine for liquid applications and the inverted horizontal flow wrapper Pack 301 ID.

Other machinery includes its SVI 2600 vertical form, fill and seal (VFFS) machine and PME 4161 BN, a VFFS package maker with a top closing unit tailor-made for coffee manufacturers.

The company will highlight its after-sales services and during live presentations at its booth (Hall 6, Stand A31–C58) guests can take part in the 'OEE Challenge' – a contest that tests participants’ speed, feeding accuracy and productivity on a horizontal wrapper.