V-Connect Asia is still available for viewing online until October 6th

Three days of non-stop content sharing, online talks and business meetings just concluded last week at the V-Connect Asia Edition event, held by VIV worldwide on the A.I. powered digital platform v-connect.net.

The positive feedbacks from all parties, namely exhibitors, visiting professionals, the partners, speakers and the sponsors, called for a further extension of the platform accessibility till October 6th. The extra days will allow existing and new registering attendees to review the recorded content sessions and continue the conversations with potential business partners even after the September 22-24 event dates.

This first edition of V-Connect Asia Edition registered over 4,000 high-quality participants, out of which 565 exhibiting profiles represented 240 suppliers, while 3,600+ visiting profiles were a combination of Asian buyers, international feed to food leaders, speakers, associations and the press. The industry joined to meet the selected exhibitors and to attend the 22 sessions held by 67 expert speakers from associations, trade institutions and global suppliers.

Hundreds of meetings were scheduled via the intelligent match-making system provided to all attendees of the V-Connect Asia Edition event. During the three days on September 22-24, a total of 1,324 meetings were requested on the platform among the industry members. And the networking is not over yet. The Exhibitor & Visitor lists are still open for interactions on the v-connect.net login area, accessible upon free registration, with the ongoing messaging function giving all users further possibility to talk and connect with interesting profiles.

3,355 logins over three days was the outstanding result achieved on the platform due to conference and seminar attendees who took advantage of a great series of learning sessions nicely presented by the VIV worldwide professional conference organiser (PCO) at VNU Asia Pacific in cooperation with partners from the five continents: Asia, Europe, America, Oceania and also Africa.

To see more about the event visit the link, 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.

IFEEDER Releases their 2020-21 annual update

The Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER) released its 2020-21 annual update this week, providing financial and project highlights for the public charity.

"Since its beginning, IFEEDER has supported the animal feed and pet food industries through education and research. However, as the animal protein and pet food landscape evolves, so has our strategy,' says Tim Belstra, IFEEDER Board of Trustees chair, 2020-21. 'Through industry input, stakeholder action and consumer trends, we are guided toward focusing our efforts on sustainability. With that as a focal point, we're building a strategy directed by a clear mission and vision.'

The annual update provides details on several IFEEDER projects, including:

• Providing insights into a stable animal food supply chain
• Exploring the impacts of non-GM livestock and poultry feed
• Charting resources for a sustainability journey
• Informing consumer choice through credible science and subject matter expertise
• Modelling virus transmission potential to ensure a safe animal food supply.

In addition to the project updates, the annual report details IFEEDER's support of two funds – the Kenny Berg Research and Education Fund and the American Feed Industry Association's Equipment Manufacturers Committee's Scholarship Fund.

To read the report visit the 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.

The Agritechnica Asia & Horti Asia Regional Summit takes place in November, 2021

The Agritechnica Asia and Horti Asia Regional Summit, to be held as a hybrid online and in-person event on November 16 and 17, offers farmers and farming specialists from Thailand and South East Asia not only innovative farming systems and a wide range of solutions for improving crop production but also access to a worldwide network of international companies and experts.

Under the guiding theme 'Smart production for sustainable food systems', the Regional Summit addresses the challenges of sustainable food production facing farmers from Southeast Asia and especially Thailand. The Agritechnica Asia and Horti Asia Regional Summit event, which is organised by DLG (German Agricultural Society) and VNU Asia Pacific, takes place at the Imperial Hotel and Convention Centre Korat in Nakhon Ratchasima, at the very heart of rice, cassava and sugarcane production in Thailand. Complementing the in-person event held in Thailand, DLG's online platform will additionally connect onsite and online international providers, experts and attendees. The summit is officially co-hosted by the Thai Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives.

Plant production is a vital part of many sustainable food systems. At the same time, such food systems have to protect natural resources and also contribute to both improving the livelihood of stakeholders and strengthening communities at all levels. In order to cover these challenges simultaneously while ensuring sustainable food production by Southeast Asian and Thai farmers especially, more innovative methods and smart solutions are required. Project Manager, Ms. Kamolchanok Nantaburom, summarises what participants can expect, 'The Agritechnica Asia & Horti Asia Regional Summit offers the opportunity to both gain insights of upcoming international trends in food production and improve local production systems that consider the needs of farmers and markets. We are very happy to present such an international event at the heart of a key production area and are overwhelmed by the local support,' adds Ms Kamolchanok Nantaburom.

Conference program: focus on local production systems
The conference with over 50 speakers from Thailand and worldwide will focus on topics such as efficient and sustainable sugarcane, cassava, rice and maize production as well as precision and smart farming, plant protection, water management and cluster farming as well as new markets such as vertical farming and bioeconomy.

'We are collaborating with quality conference partners, who are leading specialist organisations like the International Rice Research Institute and the Thai Society of Sugarcane Technologists.The combination of experts from the Thai Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and the private sector sharing the latest innovations as well as practitioners demonstrating best practices live from the field will create a unique place for knowledge exchange and networking,' explains Project Manager Katharina Staske.

'The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way we live and work and our expectations of the future. The UN Food System Summit 2021 as part of the 'Decade of Actions' is awakening the world to the fact that we must work together to create the future of food and agricultural systems to achieve the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Governments alone cannot deliver the goals for our Roadmap for more sustainable, inclusive and resilient systems for food and agriculture. We need the collaboration and partnerships of all stakeholders. In this context, the Agritechnica Asia & Horti Asia Regional Summit is a place where international knowledge and innovations can offer technical solutions to the local farmers and businesses. Through the ongoing exchanges between the Ministries of Agriculture of Thailand and Germany, we're looking forward to more collaboration at all levels, Government-to-Government, Business-to-business and most importantly, our farmers-to-farmers,' said Dr Vanida Khumnirdpetch, Director of the Bureau of Foreign Agriculture Affairs of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, emphasising the importance of the event in November.

For more information about the event visit the 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.

Anpario reports on their maintained sales and profit levels in the first half of the year

Anpario plc the independent manufacturer of natural sustainable animal feed additives for animal health, nutrition and biosecurity has announced its results for the six months to June 30th, 2021.

Richard Edwards 
Image credit: Anpario

Sales revenue at actual exchange rates was down just one percent to £16.0m although, on a constant exchange rate basis, grew by three percent to £16.7m. Adjusted EBITDA, which excludes the impact of foreign exchange gains and losses, increased by two percent to £3.5m and profit before tax increased 12 percent to £2.7m.

The company saw strong sales growth in Latin America, United States, China and Australasia, despite currency headwinds. There was also strong demand for the company's unique acid-based eubiotic brand pHorce® to the US swine sector as an anti-viral feed mitigant. Orego-Stim® also saw significant sales growth benefiting from aquaculture initiatives and the reduction in use of antibiotic growth promoters. And further sales growth for feed and raw material hygiene product, Salgard SW, which has proven efficacy against gram-negative bacteria without the safety concerns associated with formaldehyde.

'Our strategy of offering more sustainable and environmentally friendly products as an alternative to antibiotic growth promoters and some of the harsher chemical treatments is gaining traction,' says Anpario chief executive Richard Edwards. 'This performance should be seen in the context of a very strong comparative period and at a time when the UK's trading relationship changed with the European Union.'

'We are excited about the changes occurring in our markets where Anpario's environmentally friendly and sustainable solutions are gaining more interest from global producers,' adds Mr Edwards. 'The industry is moving away from the use of harmful applications such as formaldehyde and zinc oxide for antimicrobial control in addition to the trend to reduce antibiotic use. Over the past few years, our developments have been focused on products which comprise 100 percent natural and sustainable ingredients which work in synergy with the animal's natural biological processes to boost immunity.'

'There has been a strong start to the second half of the year and we remain confident of continuing the profitable development of the group supported by a strong balance sheet and investment in our operations, technology and global sales channels.'

Americas
Latin America performance was supported with key contributions from Brazil and Chile. Chile's strong growth was due to the commencement of commercial aquaculture trials using Orego-Stim® in the feed. Brazil's 19 percent sales growth was driven by Orego-Stim® sales following successful business development with some new customers and an increase in sales of Prefect® to the aquaculture market. Anpario is expecting an improved second half from Latin America following new business wins with products such as Mastercube®, the company's natural pellet binder, for aquafeed purposes.

US performance was flat at actual exchange rates but excluding currency movements sales grew by 11 percent and volumes by 26 percent. Anpario's high strength acid-based eubiotic, pHorce®, showed excellent results in a trial undertaken to evaluate the ability of feed additives in mitigating the risk of virus-contaminated feed. Where used, pHorce® has managed to protect farms from outbreaks of the virus and is viewed as being a highly effective preventative product.

Asia
Overall, sales in the region declined by two percent, impacted by a significant decline of 31 percent across South-East Asia as further lockdowns and the slow rollout of the vaccines impacted economic activity and tourism in the region. However, this period should be compared to a very strong first half in the previous year and performance has improved from the second half of 2020, which appears to have been the bottom.

This weakness in trading, however, was cushioned by strong performances in both China and Australasia. China delivered very strong sales with growth of 113 percent as Orego-Stim® is adopted as a replacement for antibiotic growth promoters (AGP's) primarily in piglet feed. The Australasia region delivered sales growth of 26 percent for the period helped by an increase in mould control product, Mycostat®, in the oilseed crusher segment.

The Middle East, Africa and India
Sales in the region declined by 5 percent compared to the same period last year, however this represents a 26 percent recovery in revenue from the second half of 2020, which was materially impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. There have been some good performances in Pakistan, Yemen and Turkey and further growth opportunities in Iraq.

Europe
Sales in Europe declined by five percent compared to the same period last year affected by some distributors increasing stock in anticipation of Brexit, although normality in order patterns is returning.

Israel showed a very strong performance delivering sales growth of over 200 percent as the company's distributor has been able to establish Orego-Stim® as the leading phytogenic brand. There is also increased interest in Anpario's products for organic production as the European Union has committed to have 25 percent of agricultural land under organic farming by 2030.

The company has been making good progress with its raw material and feed hygiene product, Salgard SW, which is being recognised as the best environmentally friendly alternative to formaldehyde, which was recently banned by the European Union. It is also seeing customers elsewhere look for credible alternatives.

As a result, Anpario has increased its liquid bulk storage facilities at Manton Wood to ensure rapid response to demand across Europe. It has also entered into a supply agreement with a global life science ingredients distributor to own brand its acid-based eubiotic technology for enteropathogen control applications in the rendering sector.

For more information visit the Anpario 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.

The GRAPAS Awards 2022 move to Europe

The GRAPAS Awards for 2021 have been postponed yet again and will now take place in mid-2022 in Europe and be referred to as the 2022 Award.

The Award was due to have taken place during Victam Asia 2021 and then on its rescheduled date of January 12-14, 2022 both in Bangkok, Thailand. However, the shows deferred date cancellation now means the Victam Asia will not be held in 2022 and the Award has been moved to Victam Europe which will be held in Utrecht, The Netherland from Tuesday May 31-Thursday June 2, 2022.

The Award hosts a respective half-day conference and seminar, which will be included in the Victam event programme being planned for Europe and take place on Tuesday May 31, 2022. The conference/seminar will be held on the second floor at the Jaarbeurs Exhibition Halls, Utrecht, The Netherlands on the first day of the show.

The GRAPAS Conference is hosted by Milling and Grain magazine and is co-located with VICTAM 2022. The full GRAPAS program will be available shortly once companies have had time to re-consider the dates and others wishing to enter have had an opportunity to do so. The deadline for entries is Friday February 25, 2022 and is open to all new innovations introduced to the industry since the beginning of 2019. To date, over 10 companies have entered the GRAPAS Innovation Award for 2022 and more are expected.

All GRAPAS Innovation Award recipients will be published in an edition of Milling and Grain magazine leading up to the event, followed by a review of the event and an announcement of the winners in a subsequent edition. These issues will not only reach Milling and Grain print readers but will be promoted widely through the magazine's social media and through the magazine's individual language apps to ensure maximum awareness of the Award winners within throughout the milling industry globally.

For further information and details on how to apply please contact Ms Tuti Tan on +44 1242 267700 or email: tutit@perendale.co.uk

 

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.

Three important assignments in Alapala management

Alapala continues its customer-oriented growth with three new names joining the management team.

Alapala Holding financial management is entrusted to experienced name Nezih Tunali
With 37 years of experience in business life, Alapala has recruited Nezih Tunali as CFO. Mr Tunali will be responsible for the financial affairs and financing general strategy, infrastructure and management of the organisation in line with sales activities and targets for new markets.

Mr Tunali, who worked as the Assistant General Manager of Financial Affairs (CFO) at Ereğli Demir ve Çelik Fabrikalari T.A.Ş., joined the Alapala team after working as the Head of the Investments and Business Development Department within the Erdemir Group.

Can Gürcan, General Manager of Alapala Foreign Trade
Mr Gürcan, who has been responsible for domestic and international sales and marketing projects for many years in his career of more than 20 years, will undertake the leadership of customer-oriented transformation while realising many important projects in sales and marketing at Alapala Foreign Trade.

Prior to joining the Alapala team, Mr Gürcan assumed responsibility for different business units at Altinay Teknoloji Group for many years, and served as Deputy General Manager between 2016 and 2021 and was also on the company's board of directors.

Experienced General Manager Görkem Suner for Alapala Makina
Mr Suner, who specialises in project management, production planning, risk management and budgeting with his strong knowledge in management and engineering, will add value to Alapala Makina as the General Manager.

After serving as Arçelik Production Group Manager, Mr Suner served as the Director of the Manisa plant in the Whirlpool Corporation EMEA team, and also took part in the board of directors. He worked as Alapala Machinery Supply Chain and Factory Director at Alapala.

For more information about Alapala visit their 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.

Bühler’s unique 3-in-1 simultaneous sorting solution helps boost quality and efficiency for Chilean walnut exporter, Pacific Nuts

Since investing in Bühler's 'three-machines-in-one-solution', the SORTEX F optical sorter, leading exporter of nuts and dried fruits in Chile, Pacific Nuts, has reduced its input shell contamination from five percent to 0.4 percent. The company has also successfully adhered to the strictest quality export standards of a maximum of one shell per 250 kg of walnuts.

Often cited as the best quality walnuts in the world, Chilean walnuts are renowned for their  distinctive  light  colour,  rich  flavour, and  long shelf-life.  Loaded with proteins, fatty acids, antioxidants, and phytochemicals, regular consumption of these walnuts is believed to maintain the brain's cognitive function, reduce the risk of type two diabetes, and boost  heart health and metabolism.  In  tandem with  the ongoing healthy eating trend  that's gripping consumers across the globe, demand for  Chilean  walnuts is  increasing.  

As  one of the largest exporters of nuts and dried fruits in Chile,  Pacific Nuts decided to invest in the SORTEX FB2 optical sorter with BioVision technology from  Bühler to meet this growing demand and to maintain its  high-quality  standards in walnut processing. 

Quality standards
Pacific Nuts has approximately 400 employees working across four processing facilities, each dedicated to a different commodity: walnuts, almonds, prunes, and raisins. The company works hard to connect nut and dried fruit growers with consumers from all over the world. 20 percent of the products processed are grown from their own orchards. 

Cristian Infante, General Manager for Pacific Nuts, says, 'We studied the  FB2 machine, and  we liked its performance and versatility; it  was the perfect fit to fulfil  our  goa l of having  the greatest  quality walnuts  in the market.

'The Chilean walnut industry as a whole is expecting a harvest of between 140.000-145.000 tons of walnuts in 2021, a volume that will, of course, be confirmed once the season is over. But so far, it looks to be greater than the 130.000 tons we recorded in 2020. So, we look forward to putting our FB2 to good use!'

Last season, the company exported 6.500 tons, but it is hoping to dispatch around 9.000 tons to its main European market and growing markets in Asia and the US next year. Subsequently, strict quality export standards must be met. 'We must adhere to a maximum of one shell per 250 kg. With our SORTEX FB2 machine, we  can  meet this requirement. Our five percent input shell contamination is reduced to 0.4 percent after just one pass through the SORTEX F sorter,' Mr Infante  states. 

3-in-1 solution 
The SORTEX FB2 can  smoothly  handle walnut halves of up to  eight-ton capacities per hour in a 1200mm tray. With Bühler's unique ability to 'split' its machines for multiple re-sorting, both mechanically and at a software level, Pacific Nuts has benefitted from a 'three-machines-in-one-solution,' consisting of 600, 400, and 200mm independent partitions. 

The primary partition is intended to quickly and efficiently process an average of 1.5 to 2.5 tons of walnuts halves per hour, removing not only colour defects, septum nuts, and foreign material such as sticks and stones, but also sorting the halves by shape – this allows Pacific Nuts to remove any large, medium or small pieces from its main product flow. 

The remaining two partitions are used to re-sort the rejects online, helping to reduce good product losses and unnecessary bins/grain containers handling and optimising logistics and processing times within the plant.

Unique shape technology 
'After the cracking process, a mixture of halves and quarters is obtained, which are separated by sieves and also by the SORTEX F. Having a system for the separation by shape and size is really helpful since it allows us to keep more than 85 percent of our halves. Reaching these values ​​simplifies the task at the selection tables, which increases our efficiency and allows us to produce a high-quality product,' Mr Infante  says.

This is all thanks to Bühler's  PROfile  shape detection software. Unique shape recognition algorithms  can  detect any misshapen halves (3/4, large, medium, and small pieces), as well as sticks and  foreign material. 'PROfile  technology ensures that we have minimum product waste and  maximum profits,' Mr Infante mentions.

Uriel Tosco, Managing Director at Sortechnology SpA says, "The SORTEX F is a popular choice amongst nut processors in Chile due to its incredible versatility. With the ability to solve up to three different processes in the same sorter, the SORTEX F simultaneously combines our cutting-edge colour, texture, and shape technologies for unmatched FM detection.' 

Challenges and opportunities 
Like many businesses, in 2020, Pacific Nuts faced challenges that they could never have anticipated: a world pandemic. Mr Infante states, 'Fortunately, the food industry and, in particular, our business did not stop. On the contrary, consumption of our products increased throughout the year, which allowed us to end the year on a positive note.

'In 2021, we will be taking the opportunity to update our machinery and increase our production capacity by 30 percent, meaning in this coming season, we will have more and better-quality products to offer our customers.'

For more information visit the Bühler 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.

Join the IFF for their two-day online conference: Insect Revolution

The global increase in world population requires the development of new protein sources. The FAO predicts that the demand for meat products will double to around 410 million kg/a in 2050, which means the global demand for processed products from animal production is increasing, and with it the demand for protein-rich animal feed.

Alternatives must be found to cover the protein requirement or to close the widening protein gap. The feeding of processed animal proteins from insects appears to be particularly suitable as an alternative to replace fishmeal and soy meal in animal feed. A large number of different insects are suitable for this, such as the mealworm (Tenebrio molitor), to use them as a protein and fat supplier in animal feed. Compared to other animal protein carriers, insects offer several advantages. They provide very high-quality proteins that contain all 21 proteinogenic amino acids. They are also excellent feed converters with protein conversion rates of around 1.5:1 and have a short generation time.

The demands of the insects concerning space and water are low and a low production of greenhouse gas emissions in comparison with other livestock distinguish them, the online seminar 'Insect Revolution' shows how to raise insects industrially and which boundary conditions have to be observed.

This two-day conference runs October 13-14, each day will be about four hours long. Day one takes on the topic of insects in general, and day two discusses insect facilities, engineering and animal nutrition.

For more information visit the link, 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.

This year’s Taiwan Smart AgriWeek will be held December 2-4

With the rising awareness of food safety and environmental protection in recent years, agriculture, livestock and breeding industries are looking for a sustainable balance between development and ecology.

This year's "Taiwan Smart AgriWeek 2021", with the theme of "Go Smart & Grow Together", showcases smart innovation, productivity enhancement and sustainable solutions for environmental protection. As one of Taiwan's most significant smart livestock exhibitions, they have gathered over 1000 innovative agricultural products in eight countries.

Among the exhibitors, there are many industry benchmark companies, such as: Agritalk (5G for Smart Farms),Lagoon International (Aquaponics), Geosat Aerospace & Tech (AI drones for precise spraying), Efarm Global Agri Tech (Mobile plant factory, no additive organic farming one-stop), Jeh-Chow Information (Black Soldier Fly Smart Farm), Innovation Foremost Asia (AIoT Aquaculture System), Next E-commerce Technology (AIoT &Blockchain Integration Service), King's Ground Biotech (NGP Functional Additions), Bioyo Biotech (microbial fertilisers for plants, livestock, poultry), Rotam Biotechnology (Phytochemicals for Animal Use), Phansco (Pesticide Quick Inspection), Utualpak (RFID ear tag for livestock), TW-3E (Intelligent labelling system), Skyeyes Gps (Intelligent Transport), Union Market(Intelligent Cold Chain Management), and other exclusive R&D exhibits and technologies are available for in-depth understanding in TSA online/offline exhibition.

During the exhibition, they will host various conferences in cooperation with industry, government, academia, and research institutes: the Smart Agriculture Forum, jointly organised by the Institute of Agricultural Research and Taiwan Economic Research Institute, will promote the ecosystem of smart x agriculture industry chain. In addition, King's Ground will host the "Animal Precision Nutrition Forum", the Cold Chain Association will host the "Cold Chain Logistics International Forum and Media Fair", and co-host the "IPM + Smart Agriculture: Application of Smart Agriculture in Integrated Crop Pest and Disease Management" with the Taiwan Society of Agricultural Technology and Resource Management.

Under this challenging circumstance, visitors can also visit the exhibition online. The virtual booths will run 24x7 from December 2 - 31 to let visitors connect with Taiwan and the world without travelling.

To register for the event visit the 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.

Sixth annual Aqua Feed Extrusion Conference to take place online in January 2022

Due to the ongoing worldwide pandemic, the management teams of VICTAM Corporation and VIV worldwide have decided to postpone VICTAM Asia and Health & Nutrition Asia in Bangkok to the third quarter of 2022. The current situation is still not as optimal as it was estimated. Above all, the health of exhibitors and visitors and the successful outcome of the event are most important to the organisers.

In light of the recent increase in Covid-19 cases, which has forced the Royal Thai Government to implement new strict measures to control the spread of the pandemic, and the delays of the vaccination programs in several Asian countries, VICTAM and VIV do not see the opportunity to realise a large-scale event on the short term. Looking at the ongoing travel restrictions from and to Asia, the organisers also believe that it is not possible to guarantee the event quality that we know them for. The postponement to the third quarter of 2022 is in the interest of the whole industry.

Management team for the Aqua feed Conference decided to hold their 6th annual Aqua feed Extrusion conference virtually as with the last event on January 11-12 and not to postpone. They already have commitment from the major extruder companies (Andrtiz, Clextal, Extru- Tech, Wenger) as well as other equipment and ingredients suppliers to give talks at this conference, (Reynolds Engineering, Kemin and Texas A&M University). Very soon they will be adding more speakers in the program. If any equipment or ingredients company is interested to give talk at this conference, they can contact Dr. Mian N. Riaz, from Texas A&M University via his email (mnriaz@tamu.edu). The program will be finalised soon and will email to everyone.

The experience and feedback from the last two virtual live online conferences was excellent. Since several participants told us that they could have not travel because of several reasons but they were able to join us via zoom to listen about the latest technology. This year again they are planning for two days Virtual LIVE online conference via zoom.

For more information and opportunities for sponsoring this conference please contact Tuti Tan at tutit@perendale.co.uk.

 

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.

Bühler unveil their new high-tech plant, Mill E3

Bühler is announcing a transformative moment in the history of flour milling with the opening of one of the most high-tech mills on the market. Mill owner Whitworth Bros. Ltd., the UK's largest miller, is reaping the benefits of the Mill E3's technological and digital capabilities.

At the heart of the Mill E3 lie more than 15,000 data points collecting information on all aspects of the production process. It is the volume of data being analysed, along with the cutting-edge application of blockchain technology, that will enable the most efficient, transparent, and consistent production possible, and therefore the highest quality product.

The new plant, built for the UK's largest miller Whitworth Bros. Ltd., is situated in the north of England at Whitley Bridge in Yorkshire. The opening of the first Mill E3 is a key staging post in the journey to the SmartMill. The data generated and analysed at the Whitley Bridge plant will drive the evolution of milling technology from the current data assisted mill into a plant capable of using its own process parameters in a closed loop to optimise production. This development of the self-adjusting mill will be the precursor to the SmartMill.

From vision to reality
According to Roman Sonderegger, Head of Business Unit Wheat & Rye at Bühler, the Mill E3 has today turned from a vision to reality. The Whitworth Bros. mill is set to impact the entire milling industry by redefining future digital services. 'This is a very significant project for Bühler that allows us, for the first time, to gather so much new data on the milling process, while also giving us the opportunity to collaborate with Whitworth Bros. as we work closer towards the creation of the SmartMill,' says Mr Sonderegger. 'This is also momentous in working towards our corporate target of cutting energy, water, and food wastage by 50 percent in our customer value chains by 2025.'

The opening of the Mill E3 is the culmination of nearly two decades of close cooperation between Bühler and Whitworth Bros. 'Bühler is excellent at building flour mills and we are pretty good at running them,' explains Mike Peters, Managing Director of Whitworth Bros. 'We can feedback observations in real time conditions in which we are dealing with client expectations and production pressures. Running and maintaining a mill is very different from building one.'

The Mill E3 in action
The concept of the Mill E3 centres on the idea of using modular 'plug and play' installation of milling equipment to cut the installation time by up to 30 percent. It also cuts building costs by reducing the volume of the mill. Mills can significantly reduce their running costs thanks to energy efficient equipment and making full use of digital services.

The Arrius fully integrated grinding system, a key component of the Mill E3, provides lower energy consumption, faster installation, along with the highest food safety standards, reliability, and optimum grinding performance. At the Whitley Bridge plant, the Arrius grinding technology has been used at scale for the first time. 'The wheat coming into the mill is first checked by online sensors to establish its key parameters,' explains Andrew Thomson, Technical Miller for Whitworth Bros. 'But then the sensors in the Arrius rechecks and controls the distribution of the feed, which allows the grinding system to adapt again to the changing characteristics of the wheat at the point of milling. It is this unique usage of sensor technology that ensures optimal grinding parameters are achieved at all times.'

The layout of the mill is designed for optimal performance with easy equipment accessibility for maintenance. Preassembled and tested blower modules are designed for quick 'plug and play' installation. They are housed in containers outside the building enabling the most efficient pneumatic transfer of product throughout the plant.

Digital solutions to help deliver targets

Sensors feed data every few seconds to Bühler Mercury Manufacturing Execution System (MES) to facilitate control of every aspect of the mill's internal workings and to the IoT platform Bühler Insights where algorithms compare past and present production and process parameters. This ensures the mill is always operating at optimal efficiency to achieve the most consistent high-quality product achievable.

'What is most exciting about the technology is that it provides the operator with data in real time, which enables the miller to take key and well-informed decisions about the plant,' explains Mr Peters. 'We feel at Whitworth Bros. that we are pioneering and what we need to understand through the 15,000 data points are the optimum machine parameters required to ensure the continued manufacturing of high-quality products using digital technologies. Once that is defined accurately you can then be more exact in the way you set up your mill process and further push your process capabilities.'

Other service modules used in the Mill E3 include for instance the Temperature and Vibration Management Service (TVM), Yield Management System (YMS), Error and Downtime Analysis (EDA), Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and Replay. Together these provide continual data feeds on machine and process trends, potential maintenance issues and how machine performance relates to quality and efficiency.

'The SmartMill services are like having a lot of Lego bricks available and you, as a miller, pick whatever you need to deliver against your needs and your targets,' explains Mr Sonderegger. 'What is most exciting about this journey is that we are only at the beginning and all the data we are gathering will allow us to come up with new ideas and with new services to optimise and help our clients around the world.'

Blockchain transparency
Another key feature of the Mill E3 is the development of a seamless interface from laboratory systems to Bühler Mercury MES and Bühler Insights and then on to Whitworth clients through blockchain in the future. Currently in development, the blockchain application will enable the secure transfer of data to clients providing transparency around the exact process parameters being used in the milling of their product.

The vision is that blockchain will reduce the need for such frequent sampling and laboratory testing as clients access production parameters in real time as part of the product certification process. The key advantage of blockchain is secure data collection and storage allowing for highest data security and transparency. In the end, it will enable a consistent, retraceable and food safe product.

'We are currently working with Bühler to ensure that all the data we are observing on the blockchain system aligns with our laboratory data before we go live with blockchain with our clients in the future,' explains Mr Thomson.

Blockchain has yet undiscovered potential. Future application of blockchain could include using sensors in vehicles to monitor time taken, ambient temperature and other safety processes. It could be used to monitor equipment performance as a form of smart insurance or to improve traceability.

For more information visit the Bühler 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.

UK to begin adding folic acid to flour to help prevent birth defects

The UK government has announced that folic acid is to be added to UK flour to help prevent spinal birth defects in babies, reports the BBC.

Image credit: Nenad Stojkovic on Flickr
(CC BY 2.0)

Taking Vitamin B before and during pregnancy can help guard against spina bifida in unborn babies, although many women don't take it despite being advised to.

Adding folic acid to flour has to potential to prevent up to 200 birth defects a year. Only non-wholemeal wheat flour will be affected, with gluten-free foods and wholemeal flour exempt, says the BBC report which was published on its website on September 21, 2021.

Mandatory fortification - which the government ran a public consultation on in 2019 - will see everybody who eats foods, such as bread getting more folic acid in their diets.

Neural tube defects, such as spina bifida (abnormal development of the spine) and anencephaly, a life-limiting condition that affects the brain, affect about 1 000 pregnancies per year in the UK. Many babies diagnosed with spina bifida survive into adulthood but will experience life-long impairment.

'Women are advised to take 400mg of folic acid a day for at least a month before conception and up to the twelfth week of pregnancy. But about half of pregnancies are unplanned and women are not always aware they should take the supplement - or forget to,' says the BBC report.

Folic acid is added to flour in more than 80 countries - and when it was added to bread in Australia, neural tube defects fell by 14 percent. Previous concerns have been raised in that mandatory fortification could have unintended health effects, such as masking a vitamin B12 deficiency or increasing the risk of colon cancer.

The government's independent advisory body - the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition - has been satisfied that these concerns are not supported by the evidence. Since World War Two, the UK's non-wholemeal flour has been fortified with iron, calcium and two other B vitamins - thiamin and niacin.

It's taken years of debating to reach this decision, as the gains need to be carefully weighed against any potential harms. Adding folic acid to flour used in common foods, such as bread, will mean dosing the masses.

Getting enough folic acid around conception and during pregnancy is important for cutting the risk of women having babies with spina bifida or other neural tube defects. Most other people however, already get their required amount of folate – the natural form of the vitamin – from a normal diet.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson says folic acid-fortified flour would be "a quick, simple win" to enhance a baby's development, as well as helping to boost the health of UK adults, adds the BBC report.

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid says preventing life-threatening health problems like spina bifida would mean fewer people needing hospital treatment.

Kate Steele, chief executive of Shine, a charity providing specialist support for people affected by spina bifida and hydrocephalus and which has campaigned for mandatory fortification of flour for more than 30 years, says she is "delighted" by the decision.

"In its simplest terms, the step will reduce the numbers of families who face the devastating news that their baby has anencephaly and will not survive," she says.

"It will also prevent some babies being affected by spina bifida, which can result in complex physical impairments and poor health. This is truly a momentous day.'

The B vitamin will be listed on the labelling of all foods made with flour.

For more information visit the 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.

Russia’s wheat harvest has reached 70 million tonnes

According to the info received from the Russian Agriculture Ministry, Russia's wheat harvest has reached 70 million tonnes. Including the 70 million tonnes of wheat, a total of 97.2 million tons of cereals have been threshed, 17.3 million tons of barley, and 661.6 tons of maize for grain. It is said that with current unfavourable weather conditions, the results of the harvesting campaign can be assessed as positive. Some crops have yields higher than last year, including maize, sugar beet, and rice.

Several regions have already begun sowing winter crops for the 2022 harvest. As of September 10th, the sowing had covered 6.3 million hectares.

 

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.