The Global Miller: August 2019

August 29, 2019

Perfect burger buns from China to Chile

by Tip Keng Pong, Technical Director Stern Ingredients Asia, Roman Gradert, head of the baking laboratory, Stern Ingredients Mexico, Christof Schricke, R & D, Baking Applications, Mühlenchemie, Vladimir Wengorz, R & D, Baking Applications Eastern Europe / Russia, Mühlenchemie.

Quality fluctuations are a “no-go” with burger buns. The international fast food chains expect their suppliers to maintain strict product standards. Four experts from the enzyme specialist Mühlenchemie explain from their own experience how similar burger buns can be produced around the globe – regardless of individual production conditions and the raw materials used.

Image credit: Mühlenchemie

In the summer of 2018, burger buns hit the headlines of the US press after the Texan fast food chain In-N-Out Burger decided to close it restaurants temporarily. The reason given was the poor quality of its burger buns. How can the milling and baking industry prevent such a fiasco?

What are the issues with burger bun production?
Quality fluctuations are a “no-go” with burger buns. The international fast food chains expect their suppliers to maintain strict product standards. Four experts from the enzyme specialist Mühlenchemie explain from their own experience how similar burger buns can be produced around the globe – regardless of individual production conditions and the raw materials used.

Tip Keng Pong, Technical Director for Stern Ingredients Asia says: The production of burger buns is no easy matter. There must be no noticeable deviations from the characteristics and appearance specified by the fast food restaurant chains.

Volume, texture, colour, taste – each bun must be exactly the same as the others. But since overall conditions vary enormously and every bakery works with different raw materials and equipment, problems sometimes occur nevertheless.

Where do the difficulties lie, then, in the production of burger buns?
Christof Schricke, Research & Development, Baking Applications, Mühlenchemie says: Burger buns are soft rolls with a high sugar and fat content. They must have an extremely soft, fluffy crumb and a fine texture. The whole bun should have a golden colour with very little white at the side.

The crust must have no cracks or blisters and should be evenly browned. In spite of their soft consistency, the buns have to be very robust. And the shape must be right, of course: for instance, the height of a standard bun is between 4.6 and 4.9 cm. That only gives you a margin of three millimetres.”

Read more HERE.

The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine Milling and Grain
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.

For additional daily news from milling around the world: global-milling.com

IGP Institute engages USGC international professionals

As part of the US Grains Council Trade Team experience, a training focused on DDGS and sorghum usage in feed was held at Kansas State University

Food production technologies constantly develop due to the increase in global population. To keep up with the demand, those involved with food production are implementing new ingredients into their animal diets to include sorghum DDGS (dried distiller grains). To help educate those following the rising trend, the IGP Institute and the US Grains Council (USGC) hosted the Myanmar and Philippines DDGS and Sorghum Seminar. This course was held August 19-20, 2019 and hosted 11 industry professionals.

Carlos Campabadal, IGP Institute feed manufacturing and grain quality
management outreach specialist, discusses the method of
delivery of the course to the participants of the US Grains Council
Sorghum and DDGS Seminar.
Image credit: KSU IGP

'We hosted participants from the Philippines and Myanmar who wanted to enhance the knowledge of adding sorghum DDGS into their feed,' says Carlos Campabadal, Feed Manufacturing and Grain Management outreach specialist.

'They were able to learn about several different topics including pelleting, export contracts, and how to formulate using DDGS and sorghum. They also toured Kansas State University's O.H. Kruse Feed Technology Innovation Centre,' Mr Campabadal says.

He adds, 'Participants received a lot of information in the two-day course. Our goal is that this will improve how their companies operate and increase the overall efficiency of their organisations.'

Course participant Rochi Aldeguer, procurement associate for San Miguel PureFoods Company, Inc., shares what she will take away from her experience at the IGP Institute.

'This course was extremely beneficial to me, because we are looking into using sorghum DDGS as a part of our raw material ingredients,' Ms Aldeguer says. 'One of the things I will take back to the Philippines is how to properly incorporate DDGS for hog and broiler diets to increase quality.'

In addition to feed manufacturing and grain quality management, the IGP Institute offers courses in the areas of grain marketing and risk management and flour milling and grain processing.

To learn more about these other training opportunities, visit the IGP Institute website, HERE.

Biomin company profile

BIOMIN are dedicated to finding innovative, trend-setting solutions that empower their customers to master existing and future challenges in animal nutrition– the natural way. The application of their scientific know-how and expertise, based on an in-depth understanding of their customer’s needs and concerns, enables them to deliver solutions that support animal health, optimise performance and production efficiency.

Research and development is one of the cornerstones of BIOMIN. Their strong in-house research and development, and global cooperation with leading institutions and organisations form the basis by which innovative solutions are developed for their customers.

Through joint projects with renowned universities and research institutes, BIOMIN is constantly in touch with the latest scientific know-how, from which novel feed additives are developed and produced. Their global network of collaborating institutions has grown to over 100.

One of the cornerstones of BIOMIN’s success is the ongoing improvement of their inhouse quality standards. In 1997, BIOMIN introduced the international ISO 9001 standard. The HACCP system, introduced subsequently at BIOMIN’s production sites, provides the quality assurance our customers seek from them. In addition, the feed quality standards QS and GMP+ guarantee the utmost degree of control and quality for their products – from raw material inputs right through to the final product.

Concerns over climate change and the role of greenhouse gases continue to rise. In September 2011, BIOMIN was internationally recognised through the award of ISO 14040 ‘Life Cycle Assessment’ certification.

By optimising feed use and improving animal performance, it is possible to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from livestock operations.Through innovative production technologies and advanced, scientific know-how, BIOMIN has pioneered several trend-setting solutions for a range of animal nutrition products, all of which utilise fully natural processes and ingredients.

An in-depth understanding of what the customer’s needs and concerns are has enabled BIOMIN to create and deliver solutions in-line with performance and efficiency goals.

Visit the company website HERE.

Cargill and White Dog Labs agreement set to deliver a sustainable feed alternative to fishmeal

Cargill is expanding its offerings of sustainable alternatives to fishmeal in aqua feed thanks to a new agreement with White Dog Labs.

Image credit: Lukas Hofstetter on Flickr
(CC BY 2.0)

The deal secures access to ProTyton™, White Dog Labs' single-cell protein produced by fermentation with corn feedstock a sustainable alternative to harvesting fishmeal which, like fishmeal, is high in protein and amino acids. ProTyton™ will be ready to ship from White Dog Labs' demo facility in Sutherland, NE in 2020.

'This agreement underlines our commitment to sustainable aquaculture and discovering new and strategic ingredients that will help feed the world in a safe and responsible way,' said Adriano Marcon, president of Cargill's aqua nutrition business. 'ProTyton™ offers a good source of protein for fish and shrimp, an affordable feed ingredient for farmers and a sustainable option for the planet that lessens our reliance on fishmeal, which we know to be a finite resource.'

Cargill plans to begin offering ProTyton™ in salmon feed, with the possibility of expanding to shrimp and other species as White Dog Labs' production volume increases. In trials, salmon fed a diet containing ProTyton™ achieved a growth performance comparable to salmon on a conventional diet.

'We're honoured to partner with Cargill to lead the industry in the application of highly scalable, alternative proteins for aquaculture,' said Bryan Tracy, chief executive officer, White Dog Labs.

Read the full article on the Milling and Grain website, HERE.

August 28, 2019

Bühler expands insect portfolio by mealworms

Bühler has developed a string of technologies and capabilities to offer total rearing and processing solutions for the insect industry. 'Our proposition to the market is to support the industry through solutions that produce and process a range of insect species,' says Andreas Aepli, CEO Bühler Insect Technology Solutions. The first industrial black soldier fly plant has already opened in June this year. Bühler is now in the execution of a new facility for a second species, the yellow mealworm.

Andreas Aepli, CEO Bühler Insect Technology Solutions
Image credit: Bühler

Livestock production, especially the pig industry, is under enormous pressure because the already tight margins continue to decline – in particular in Europe. While retail prices for pork have remained broadly stable, farm gate prices for pigs have plunged to levels where many producers are struggling to break even. Furthermore, production costs are on the rise, since grain prices have increased substantially, and feed makes up 75 percent of the cost to produce pig meat. That is why the number of pig producers, who have already de-stocked or are leaving the industry completely, is rising. These producers are now looking for alternative but more sustainable businesses, in which they can leverage their animal farming skills.

First project for the new species
A first project has been started in the Netherlands with a farmer who already worked on the concept of producing yellow mealworm in an old pig farm. Bühler will now support the project and design, installation and commissioning of a complete mealworm production facility in a 2,300 square-meter facility. 'With this project we will set the bar on modularised mealworm production in an automated and hygienic way,' says Andreas Aepli, CEO Bühler Insect Technology Solutions. 'Our technological solutions can be readily integrated into existing farms, but larger-scale facilities can also be realised. Once the first plant is completed and producing profitably in the Netherlands, it will offer livestock farmers an alternative option for gaining a sustainable business with attractive margins.

Yellow mealworm as an alternative
The yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) offers interesting market opportunities in predominantly food applications. They have a great nutritional value which includes proteins, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fibres. Thus, they are already used in various food products with very attractive marketing concepts. While the mealworm market has shown significant growth in the last years, the global market size is predicted to even exceed its current growth rate. In addition, mealworm farming could offer a new and stable production and commercialisation outlook for farmers. Another interesting aspect of mealworm farming is the resource use. Mealworms can grow on for instance wheat bran and rice husks, by-products that many existing Bühler customers produce and could get increased value out of.

Globally, the pressure on protein is rising fast as the worldwide population is expected to rise to nearly 10 billion by 2050. The global supply of protein is under pressure due to land erosion, ocean depletion and climate change. Alternative proteins are in high demand and innovative sources such as algae, funghi, single-cell bacteria as well as insects are on the rise. Insects offer one of the biggest potentials as they can be produced anywhere in the world and can be used almost directly as a high-quality source of nutrition and protein.

Visit the Bühler Group website, HERE.

FEFAC makes available biosecurity recommendation in context of African Swine Fever

While the livestock farming community is put under stress by the prospect of outbreaks of viral diseases, in particular African Swine Fever and Avian Influenza, minimising the risk of incidental dissemination of pathogens is everybody's business: farmers, agro-supply industry, grain collectors and farm visitors (advisors, service providers, etc).

The potentially devastating impact of African Swine Fever in particular shows that operators connected to livestock farms cannot afford any shortcomings when it comes to biosecurity and in most European countries effective biosecurity measures are already implemented by feed manufacturers, based on guidance developed by the sector.

www.fefac.eu

FEFAC built on these national guidance's and knowledge gained by its members from past outbreaks to issue Recommendations for the development of a biosecurity plan at feed manufacturer level. The purpose of this document is to secure maximum dissemination of best practices, bearing in mind that the starting point for an effective biosecurity plan is commitment from operators and adaptation to the local context.

The EU Feed hygiene legislation (Regulation (EC) No 183/2005) sets a solid baseline to manage the risk of dissemination of any pathogen via feed: guides to good practice have been developed at EU and national level to help operators implementing prerequisite programmes and HACCP-based procedures for the control of hazards in feed. Additional provisions are required to address the risk of dissemination of pathogens via other vectors than feed (i.e. vehicle, personnel).

The focus of this document is on biosecurity measures for the operations of sourcing of feed ingredients, transport, storage, manufacturing and delivery of final feed to farms. It also covers visits to farms of feed company personnel.

These recommendations are primarily meant for operators based in countries where there is no detailed professional/legal guidance yet for the drafting and implementation of biosecurity plans at feed mill levels. They must be considered in the light of national guidance and/or legal requirements where relevant.

The recommendations for biosecurity document can be downloaded, HERE.
Visit the FEFAC website, HERE.

New economic measures promise growth in the Latin American market, Brazil

Trade Fairs are the best opportunity to enter the market and approach the country's rural producers. These producers should make investments to modernise their machines and help feed the world in the years to come.

A series of measures implemented by the new government, promise to inject resources into the economy and boost economic recovery in Latin America. One of these is the approval of the Social Security Reform. The last phase of the vote should take place in October 2019 and the estimate is that the proposal will generate savings of $900 billion over the next ten years.

Another measure that promises to resume the spirit of investors is the Tax Reform. The government is considering measures to review the rates of income tax and the creation of a single tax on consumption and services. The proposal has been optimistically received by businessmen and farmers alike who hope to reduce bureaucracy and make financial transactions more transparent.

In addition, Brazil's potential for agribusiness is unquestionable. According to PWC, Brazil is the world's largest producer and exporter of coffee, sugar and orange juice, and occupies a prominent place in the production and export of soy, corn, ethanol, pork, beef and chicken.

Today, agribusiness represents 22 percent of Brazil's GDP, one third of all employment and almost 44 percent of exports. With the resumption of the Brazilian economy, farmers continue to invest in technologies that allow the modernisation of their farms, machines and implements, in order to increase their productivity for the noble mission of feeding Brazil and the world.

This optimism was felt during several fairs held in 2019 by the world's largest business event promoter, Informa Markets.

"The Agrishow, Plastic Brazil, Expomafe, Future Print trade shows showed significant growth in the number of visitors and the exhibitors were unanimous in stating that the entrepreneur/farmer visited the fairs in search of new technologies and interested in investing," says Liliane Bortoluci. Director of the portfolio of trade fairs of Informa Trades Brasil.

Agrishow prepares to receive visitors all over Brazil and abroad
Between April 27 and May 1, 2020, in Ribeirão Preto, the largest and most important agricultural fair in Brazil and one of the largest in the world will bring together more than 800 brands that expose key solutions, technologies and trends for professionals in the countryside.

It is already preparing to receive more than 150,000 visitors from Brazil and the world. With the forecast of the resumption of investments in the country, the exhibitors are already organised to meet the demand that must be generated during the five days of the fair and look forward to the new economic measures. This positive positioning is reinforced by the fact that 75 percent of Agrishow's spaces are already booked.

'Our next edition will have 520,000 m2 of exhibition area and the commercialisation of the spaces has exceeded all our expectations. This is a result of the last successful edition, linked to market optimism with the resumption of the national economy," adds Liliane Bortoluci.

Visit the Agrishow 2020 website, HERE.

Connecting past practices with a futuristic feed focus

by Roger Gilbert, Publisher, Milling and Grain

What has a hospital, school, vineyard and hotel gotten in common? They form part of a privately-owned business that has 24 separate activities including a 300,000-tonnes-year feedmill called the Dawu Project located just north of Beijing at Baoding in Hebei Province.

This is China where everything is done differently. This multifaceted business with a feed focus, for example, is managed by a woman, Ms Li Sixu.

The factory itself is new, being commissioned in February 2018 but coming online fully some three months late. It has recently completed its first full year of production from five production lines, with two for ruminants and three for pigs.

The capacity of the pellet mill for pig feeds is 12-tonnes-per-hour-per-line with the 4.0mm die holes; compression ratio is 1: 6. The capacity of the pellet mill for ruminant feed is nine-tonnes-per-hour-per-line with the 4.0mm die hole; compression ratio is 1: 9.

A key feature of this mill is the external silo structure for raw materials to complement traditional bag handling and flat storage facilities. The project has four intake points and eight large silos for macro raw material storage; four silos for corn and DDGS and four silos for soybeans and soybean meal. Each soybean meal silo holds up to 250 tonnes and corn silo 1500 tonnes each.

The new factory relies on just six operators per shift. It has four two-tonne batch mixers for its five pig and dairy lines. Compete feeds are stored in the 24 five-six tonne internal bins with an additional seven small bins.

Two grinders process all the raw materials using 90kW and 110kW hammer mills running three and two mm screens with a top throughput of 18-tonnes-per-hour. Two pellet mills, running at 10-12 tonnes per hour, are supported by two 15-tonne-per-hour coolers.

The mill has a total capacity of 1000 tonnes-per-day and 300,000 tonnes per year.

The future for milk products
The dairy feed production lines are newly installed and started out producing 100-tonnes-per-day, which is expected to rise rapidly due to there being a new dairy factory nearby which is encouraging greater dairy production to meet a growing demand from consumers.

All our dairy feeds are of sale and they are becoming more popular as milk consumption in the area increases, says mill managers Mr Kong and Mr Qi.

The old factory, which is being replaced, is producing 400-tonnes-per-day of poultry feeds, while the new one is already producing 1000-tonnes-per-day based on pig feeds and dairy feeds alone. There is also an extruder for providing small piglet feeds.

Read more HERE.

Cimbria company profile

Cimbria is one of the world's leading suppliers of grain handling and seed processing technology

Global Perspective - Local focus
Cimbria is one of the world’s leading companies within industrial processing, handling and storage of grain and seed, as well as animal feed and foodstuffs and other bulk products

They offer project design and engineering and process control – as well as the development, manufacturing and service of individual machines, customised systems and turnkey installations.

Their innovation and expertise is based on many years of hands-on experience and in-depth material knowledge which enable us to provide solutions that take the requirements and problems of the individual client into account.

The core competency of the company is precise project design and engineering in proportion to the required capacity. In this way, they manage to achieve maximum machine utilisation with minimum environmental impact.

Cimbria Turnkey brings together expertise from six business areas
Cimbria’s project and turnkey installations extract and leverage all the experience and expertise acquired from the business areas of conveying, drying, seed processing, electronic sorting, storage and service. By choosing Cimbria as your business partner for major projects, you will benefit from a comprehensive range of skills and 70 years of experience

Conveying
Cimbria focuses systematically on achieving intelligent and advanced conveying solutions aimed at improved energy efficiency. They develop conveying solutions based upon their detailed knowledge of the special conditions applicable to each individual project. Focus lies in diligent and precise capacity calculations combined with extensive knowledge of the products being conveyed.

Drying
Artificial drying of agricultural products is the most reliable and advanced method of ensuring quality and long-term storage. Intensive development work within this specific area has resulted in the most flexible modular solution on the market, strengthening their position as a global provider of energy-efficient high-capacity solutions.

Seed processing
Cimbria develops and manufactures an entire range of seed processing machines and equipment for cleaning, sorting, grading and treatment of seed and grain products. Their seed processing equipment and solutions are based on comprehensive technical experience and comprehensive product knowledge. Cimbria holds a world-leading market position within seed processing equipment, where they maintain a strong focus on quality and cost-benefit.

Electronic sorting
With their range of optical sorting systems, Cimbria offers innovative sorting solutions that are customised for the task at hand. The sorting systems are fully automatic and harbour the latest technology, ensuring both high quality and efficiency, whilst keeping the quantities of rejected seeds and grain to a minimum.

Storage
Storage of grain and seed products requires the utmost care and control at the same time. In their design, they think of treatment and technology in every part and detail. They possess valuable knowhow and experience gained through nearly 70 years of global activities. Together with their comprehensive knowledge of crop handling and processes, this contributes to a successful storage solution.

Service
Serving customers is a fundamental aspect of Cimbria’s efficacy and business sense. This goes for project engineering and installation of the plant, as well as the subsequent guarantee of a smoothly running plant. Efficient electrical-mechanical after-sales service and the use of genuine Cimbria spare parts minimise downtime and production losses. Cimbria and their local authorised partners offer exclusive after-sales service, providing the customer with qualified assistance at all times. After-sales service not only includes spare parts service, but also regular maintenance services, plant check-ups and consulting services. A team of experienced engineers and technicians remains at the disposal of the respective plant operators and customers – also after handover of the plant.

Visit the Cimbria website, HERE.

Milling and Grain, September 2019 is available now!

Back issues available

Worldmilltech 2020 to be held at CNR Expo Centre, Turkey

It has just been announced that the Board of Directors of the Association of Mill and Industry Machinery Manufacturers (DESMÜD) have come to a decision to hold the International Mill Technologies Worldmilltech fair on September 9-12, 2020 at the CNR Exhibition Center in Istanbul, Turkey.

CNR Chairman, Mrs Ceyda Eren
and DESMÜD Chairman, Mr Zeki Demirtasoğlu
Image credit: DESMÜD

Accordingly, the agreement was signed with the participation of CNR Chairman Ceyda Eren and board members.

Visit the Worldmilltech website, HERE.

The Global Miller

This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine Milling and Grain
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.

For additional daily news from milling around the world: global-milling.com

August 27, 2019

The cost of machine downtime

by Houghton International, UK

Machine downtime can cause major complications. If there is no preparation in place, interruptions to appliances can be detrimental to productivity and profit margins. A study commissioned by Oneserve revealed machine downtime costs the UK approximately UK £18 billion a year.

If this was reduced it could boost the British economy at a time when it’s most essential with Brexit remaining an unknown factor.

Machine downtime for UK companies
Machine downtime can cause any manufacturing process to cease. With growing consumerism creating higher demand for products, fast and efficient machine procedures are critical to a firm’s success.

The impact of machine downtime differs by sector; in the automotive industry, one minute can cost a staggering £17,000. A British Airways technical failure in 2017 cost the company £80 million.

It’s not just the financial side that is affected by machine downtime, a company’s reputation is also on the line if it fails to meet the demands of a supplier. There’s also the stress of employees who must rectify the downtime to consider.

How to calculate the costs of downtime
To calculate the costs of downtime, you must first work out the following:
• Labour costs: The duration of the machine downtime period x the hourly pay rate of your operators = Your lost labour costs
• Product costs: The price of a single-unit product x the total of items you produce in a certain period x the machine downtime period
• Recovery costs: Work out how much it costs you for: machine reboots, energy surges, replacing/repairing parts, retrieving lost data and your other calculations to get a more accurate machine downtime value
• Extra costs: Bear in mind that the value of machine downtime goes beyond profits lost during the downtime period
• Total cost: All the above costs plus the total cost of machine downtime. Ensure that you use the same units of time to work each section out for an accurate outcome (eg employee pay per hour, product output per hour, etc.)

Read more HERE.

Behlen Grain Systems company profile

Behlen Mfg. Co. is a leading international manufacturer of grain storage systems. These structures are used worldwide in a multitude of locations storing a wide variety of grain.

Behlen bins range in size from a few thousand bushels to over 1,500,00 bushels.

The Behlen grain storage buildings can be custom designed for many applications.

The entire line of Behlen equipment can be manufactured to handle high winds, seismic conditions, as well as high filling and unloading rates.

Visit the website HERE.

The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine GFMT
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.

For additional daily news from milling around the world: global-milling.com

Women-owned businesses, get your product seen by Fortune 500 companies at the new IGNITE Expo

Women-owned businesses now have a direct way to meet with buyers from some of the largest global food and agriculture corporations, like Cargill, ADM, Mondelez, General Mills and Unilever, at the newly-launched IGNITE Business Expo. This inaugural event will take place on Wednesday, September 25 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis.

Exhibiting companies must be majority women-owned businesses (51 percent or more ownership), and the product or service offered should be of use to a large corporation, or a food or agriculture company. Examples of such products include: eye wash stations, office supplies, professional training services, paper board, relocation services and temperature sensors. These companies are also looking for suppliers of soybeans, eggs, corn, dried fruit, spices, tea leaf, nuts, pasta and more. A more complete list of products that corporations are seeking is available, HERE.

Supplier diversity professionals are invited to attend as well and join the likes of Fortune 500 companies who are looking to do business with women-owned companies.

To provide details on becoming a certified women-owned business, the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), which is the largest certifier of women-owned businesses in the US and a leading advocate for women business owners and entrepreneurs, will be on-hand to educate business owners about the details and benefits of certification.

The IGNITE Business Expo takes place just before the 8th annual Women in Agribusiness Summit (WIA), the hosts of the IGNITE, in the same location, September 25-27. The Summit includes a commissioners of agriculture keynote panel to open the event, followed by presentations on current trends and outlooks in the sector by the industry's top speakers, and including special activities such as an interactive leadership training workshop, a pre-event industry walking tour, a WIA members-only night, and a student and young professionals workshop.

The Expo is free for all attendees – be they procurement professionals, small business owners or those who are registered for the co-located Women in Agribusiness Summit – though registration is required.

Learn more about the Expo and the Summit, both of which offer unique opportunities to network with colleagues, vendors, and potential clients and customers in an interactive and innovative forum, at the Women on Agriculture website, HERE.

Bühler's new quality control tool GrainiGo

Bühler's new quality control tool GrainiGoTM brings you the advantages of instant quality analysis and the Internet of Things. It allows you to analyse the quality of your yield from a sample of kernels: it is a low-cost solution for reliable and consistent quality assurance. It’s portable and easy to use, allowing you to deploy it at any point in your production.

Sara Larsen, TotalSense

The mobile maize (corn) analyzer is able to identify following quality parameters in a sample: yield, stress cracks, broken kernels and particle size distribution. GrainiGoTM improves food and feed safety at your plant, alloing you to maximise profits at the same time.

GrainiGoTM is easy to use. You don’t need any specific knowledge nor training. Just take a picture of the sample with your smartphone and upload it to the Bühler cloud. It’s as simple as that. Discover. Within minutes you receive your quality report directly to your smartphone. Download your report, access the data on your account or export it. Available at anytime anywhere.

August 26, 2019

The new Diorit roller mill with leading-edge control

by Nicholas Trounce, Product Manager, Bühler Group, Switzerland

High food and operational safety with low maintenance: With Bühler’s four- and eight-roller mill Diorit, a large variety of grains can be consistently and safely ground. The new Diorit 2019 offers even more user-friendliness than ever.

The Diorit MDDY/MDDZ four- and eight-roller mill from Bühler has impressively proven itself since its market launch in 2017. With its sturdy design, reliable grinding and best sanitation, the Diorit has completely established itself as a cost-efficient but very high-performing grinding solution.

The Diorit four- and eight-roller mill MDDY/MDDZ consistently and safely grinds wheat, maize/corn, rye, barley, spelt and other grains. More than 1000 Diorit roller mills have been sold since its market introduction and are in use around the world.

Diorit 2019
Two years after the Diorit market launch, Bühler again improved it, this time primarily in terms of user-friendliness. The most obvious innovation of the new Diorit generation is the completely revised control system as well as the newly designed user interface.

The roller mill now offers intuitive and easy monitoring and control. And not only is the Diorit generation 2019 operable via the redesigned touchscreen - thanks to the integrated webserver, it can also be operated remotely.

By connecting to the wireless network, the Diorit roller mill can be operated by smartphone, tablet or PC within the mill. The touchscreen on the roller mill is optionally available on request because it is no longer needed.

Another improvement is the grinding chamber which has been enlarged by 30 millimeters on the Diorit 2019. That allows the operator more space for product sampling.

Reliably monitored
State-of-the-art sensor technology in the Diorit ensure that the rolls are always in the optimal position running at optimal speed. It also features integrated roll disengagement monitoring. This prevents the rolls from running against each other without product and can generate an error message when needed.

Roll speed monitoring on the rear grinding roll checks whether the drive belt is functioning correctly in continuous operation. The optionally available, continuous monitoring of the roll and bearing temperature triggers an alarm and immediately stops operation as soon as the rolls or bearing temperatures get excessively hot.

Plus, additional safety features guarantee the highest level of safety for operating personnel. The Diorit also has a hand guard when fluted rolls are used. This ensures that operating personnel can take product samples during on-going operation with maximum safety.

Read more HERE.

Consergra, S.L. company profile

Consergra, S.L. is a Spanish company established in 1969. Since then, their main activity is the construction of special refrigeration and air conditioning units, mainly used for the preservation of grains, oil seeds and perishable granulated products.

Other refrigerating and air conditioning units for different purposes are also produced according to customer needs. Throughout all these years, they have much experience in grain conservation by chilling, even under the hardest conditions of the desert or the tropics.

Their units combine modern design, highest possible energy efficiency, reliability, and friendly use. They are designed for heavy duty operation. Their wide know-how together with a continued cooperation and feedback from customers, allow them to developed new solutions and make better machines over time.

They also supply different equipment related to the grain industry: high quality grain moisture meters, portable low cost moisture meters, on-floor chilling ducts, under-floor chilling ducts.

Visit the company website, HERE.

Cargill to open Innovation Lab at University of Illinois, promoting modern global food and agriculture systems

University of Illinois students focused on solving some of the world's greatest challenges across the global food and agriculture systems will soon have a new space to test their work thanks to a partnership with Cargill. The Research Park at the Urbana-Champaign campus will be the home of the newest Cargill Innovation Lab.

Led by Cargill's digital labs team of data scientists, Innovation Lab students and staff will work directly with Cargill business leaders, operations teams and customers to help move digital ideas in weeks, not months, to test mode.

Image credit: Olearys on Flickr
(CC BY 2.0)

'Cargill's commitment to engaging our students in its innovation process will add a new dimension to their educational experiences at Illinois,' said Robert J. Jones, chancellor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 'I had the good fortune to visit Cargill's headquarters and engage with their leadership in this process. I am excited that Cargill has decided to join the dynamic environment in our Research Park.'

In turn, the Innovation Lab provides Cargill with a pipeline of talented software engineering and data science students and graduates ready to modernise agricultural supply chains and food systems across the globe.

'We are on a constant search for new innovations and new talent, whose fresh thinking can help us bring new technologies to life,' said Keith Narr, vice president, Cargill's digital labs team. 'With an impressive engineering and computer science program, the University of Illinois is an ideal partner to spur the growth and innovation in our digital business.'

The Cargill Innovation Lab formally opens its doors this fall, following a successful first phase of the partnership, including a 12-week internship program.

'We know our students are motivated by making an impact in their communities,' said Mr Jones. 'There are few greater ways to do so than by helping Cargill fulfil its purpose of feeding the world.'

For more information visit the Cargill website, HERE.

US Grains Council make statement on US and Japan in principle agreement

US Grains Council (USGC) President and CEO, Ryan LeGrand has made the following statement regarding the recent in-principle agreement between the US and Japan:

"The US Grains Council is encouraged by the news of an agreement in principle between the US and Japan on agricultural market access. While there are details yet to be worked out, lowering market access barriers with one of our most valuable and loyal grain buyers is a critical win-win.

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"Combined with reductions or eliminations in agricultural tariffs that coincide with those under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EU-Japan EPA), a new agreement with Japan will allow our farmers a level playing field with our competitors.

"Japan is a deeply valued trading partner for US grain farmers, currently the second largest buyer of US corn and a significant buyer of US sorghum and US barley for food and feed purposes. Japan is also a partner with which we hope to build a growing ethanol market.

"We look forward to reviewing the final provisions announced this weekend and continue to support the completion of a comprehensive agreement that will include the enhanced sanitary and phytosanitary, good regulatory practices and precedent-setting biotechnology provisions strengthened under the US-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA)."

Visit the USGC website, HERE.

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