High altitude testing for packaged dry goods

Versaperm is launching a new version of its HASS (High Altitude Shipping Simulator) into the UK and European marketplaces; it fully complies with all relevant European standards and is now CE marked.

The HASS simulates shipping boxes of dry packaged goods, such as cereals, at high altitudes. It gives the controller very flexible options - including the simulated height, the number of high peaks the goods need to fly over, the ramp speed (or rate), and time at the peak. Results can be fed into a QC system to produce statistical results which allow the manufacturer to spot the first signs of any trends or problems and thus take preventative measures.

Many types of product packaging are liable to burst or leak and thus fail at air-transport elevations and this makes the product unsalable, and potentially even harmful. The new HASS controller monitors and controls both the vacuum level and rate of change of the vacuum during simulating precise flight conditions.

The system then takes the packaged product through each cycle in sequence, before eventually reducing the pressure back to "ground level".

The unit's control system supports testing on up to 200 altitude profiles without reprogramming, each with its own set of configured set points.

English: High altitude  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Consergra

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, oilseeds and perishable granulated products. Click on image to visit company website. 

Molds and mycotoxins: prevention is key

Prevention of molds and mycotoxins is of major importance. The WHO estimates that yearly 25% of all crops produced worldwide are contaminated with mycotoxins caused by molds. Mycotoxins cause serious problems in modern animal husbandry. Performance is everything in animal husbandry. Genetics, nutrition, environmental circumstances are all well balanced to maximize efficiency. First sign of contaminated feed with molds and mycotoxins is reduced feed intake because of a loss of palatability. At a later stage there are of signs of lower fertility, lower immune responses and a decline in technical results.

Molds and mycotoxins 
Molds and mycotoxins develop in the field and during storage. Prevention is the key to fight against molds. A multifactorial approach against molds and mycotoxins has proven to be most successful. Mold spores are very resistant to outdoor climate and are present in large numbers wherever you look. Once molds have developed on crops you are not able to remove them. Usually crops are classified “moldy” when the molds are visible on outer surfaces, but a lot of molds are in the crops themselves and as such are hidden from sight. Mycotoxins are completely invisible and only sophisticated analytical methods can give a final answer.

Crop rotation
Good management strategies enable you to prevent mold development in the field. Crop rotation, removing crop residue after harvesting and proper cultivation before sowing reduce the risk of recontamination with molds from the previous harvest. Choosing the right varieties of crops will help to reduce mold development and mycotoxin formation, mold- and lodge resistant grains are preferred. Even with all these precautions we are still dependent on weather conditions. Extreme droughts or heavy rainfalls are favorable conditions for mold development and mycotoxin formation during the various stages of the growing season.

Storage management
Large quantities of good quality raw materials are lost after harvest. Good storage management is important. Proper cleaning of storage silo’s and storage equipment is the first thing to do to prevent the new harvest from being contaminated with molds from debris. Cleaning of grains has beneficial effects on storage as small particles, which often contain molds spores, have been removed. In a trial in Germany piglets were fed with double cleaned grains. These piglets showed increased daily gain of 10%(!) and a 2% better feed conversion ratio.

Drying or acid based mold inhibitors?
Storage of raw materials for long periods needs proper management. Drying - to a safe moisture level - is a common method to preserve grains, but in practice it is an expensive and inflexible method. Acid based mold inhibitors such as ProSid™ MI allow you greater flexibility and lower costs. ProSid™ MI products enable you to store grains for long periods of time without deterioration because of mold. Grains with high moisture content are best preserved with crimping additives such as our ProMyr™ NT 570 and ProMyr™ NT 610.

ProSid™ mold and mycotoxin solutions 
Perstorp’s ProSid™ MI products are based on organic acids which have a broad spectrum of activity against molds. Furthermore, most of our ProSid™ MI products are buffered to limit undesired properties of pure organic acids, such as stringent safety precautions and corroded equipment after use. Dosage levels depend mainly on the moisture level of the grain and the storage time. Of course good dispersion of the mold inhibitor through the grains is crucial.

Reducing the effects of mycotoxins
In several regions we offer ProSid™ TB as an alternative to reduce the negative effects of mycotoxins. ProSid™ TB products are able to adsorb different types of mycotoxins (and pathogens). The bound mycotoxins are inactivated and excreted with the animal’s feces and do not harm the microvilli in the gastrointestinal tract. Certain components in ProSid™ TB products are also able to stimulate the immune system.

04/06/2013: Brazil grain farms; Bangladesh eyes local hybrid rice; African food security

Brazil is poised to unveil $65bn plans to boost its agriculture through measures including a splurge on grain storage and a minimum price for cotton, although it may be sugar producers who benefit most.

Brazil's farm minister, Antonio Andrade have revealed Brazil's annual "harvest plan" for 2013-14, ($63.4bn-65.6bn) to support the sector, a rise of some 20% year on year.

Read more...

Bangladesh has tapped a local agricultural firm to develop a new variety of hybrid rice that can spur hybrid rice production and exportation in the South Asian country, BusinessWorld reported. 

Agriculture minister, Matia Chowdhury, said in a statement that she is “interested in potential expansion of a collaboration with SL Agritech Corp. (SLAC) after the Filipino-developed SL-8H made a mark in Bangladesh’s hybrid rice sector, accounting for 20 per cent of the seed supply.”

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The three heads of the Rome-based United Nations agencies have called for food security and nutrition to be placed at the centre of the international agenda for African development. 

Special attention should be given to supporting small holder farmers to improve global food security and empowering rural women, addressing gender inequalities and enabling them to transform their own lives and the lives of their families and communities.

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United Nations flags (Photo credit: Ashitakka)

Buhler

Bühler is a specialist and technology partner for plant, equipment, and services for processing basic foods and for manufacturing advanced materials. Click on image to visit Buhler website.

New demand and capacity planning product released by Preactor

The Preactor Group has today announced the release of its latest solution for scheduling and a new demand and capacity planning module – Preactor 400 GMPS.

The firm, which creates the Preactor range of production planning and scheduling software products for industries including manufacturing, logistics and services, said that Preactor 400 GMPS (Graphical Master Production Schedule) is an essential new tool. It will help companies who want to enhance competitiveness, increase profits and improve customer service.

The problems which frequently challenge the management of FMCG companies (fast-moving consumer goods) include unnecessarily high stock levels of both finished products and raw materials, as well as the possibility of this stock reaching its sell-by date before being consumed. Preactor 400 GMPS has been created to reduce this production problem by allowing effective purchasing of economical quantities of raw materials, plus their timely use.

“It complements our detailed scheduling software, and works both in a make-to-stock and a make-to-order environment, either as a standalone product or linked to ERP (enterprise resource planning) systems,” Mike Novels, CEO of the Preactor Group said.

Preactor 400 GMPS has already been subjected to a year-long trial by many well-known companies in Europe and North America, including Mars and Premier Foods. This has allowed suggested improvements to be built into the product before it is now launched universally.

For make-to-stock businesses, Preactor 400 GMPS uses current and expected future demands, as well as starting stock quantities and stock control rules, to decide how much of each product to make. The resulting required manufacturing quantities are then overlaid onto the real capacity of resources to produce a ‘capacity constrained plan’. This can then be input to the business’s ERP system, if one is in use.

Alternatively, for make-to-order businesses, Preactor 400 GMPS isn’t used to calculate manufacturing quantities. Instead, the user’s material requirements planning (MRP) process will calculate these, so Preactor 400 GMPS is used in parallel with this process. The software can be used to review manufacturing capacity against proposed changes in demand. For example, it can enable businesses to decide whether their current capacity is adequate, and if not the appropriate stage at which to increase capacity.

03/06/2013: Mitsubishi to take control of Brazil’s grain supplies; sorghum pancakes; grain rescue tubes

Mitsubishi Corp. will take control of grain supplier Los Grobo Ceagro do Brazil S.A. as Japan’s biggest trading company seeks to boost corn and soybean supplies to meet Asian demand.

A Brazilian unit of Mitsubishi will purchase 60 percent of Goiania-based Ceagro to raise the Japanese company’s stake to 80 percent. The Japanese company will spend 50 billion yen ($497 million) to raise its stake in Ceagro. 

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The U.S. Grains Council is pleased to announce the launch of a line of a U.S. sorghum pancake mix that features "Sorghum: The smart choice" and the Council's logo on the product package. The pancake mix can be found at Tokyu Hands Inc., one of the most influential specialised variety stores in Japan.

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The South Jacksonville Fire Department recently acquired a grain rescue tube as part of preparations to meet the extra safety needs of the soon-to-open Bartlett Grain Co. terminal.

But the equipment, which forms a lifesaving wall around a person trapped in a grain elevator, was first put to the test last month following an emergency call to a rural Woodson farm field.

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Sorghum (Photo credit: agrilifetoday)