Whether or not we’re aware of it, food packaging is something that every individual is familiar with, from tearing open a packet of crisps while in the queue at the grocery store to accepting delivery from Postmates; our modern lives are surrounded by food packaging and the technology that creates it.
Depending on the food being packaged, packaging comes in various types to protect and increase the product’s shelf life. For instance, fresh proteins like beef, chicken, pork, etc., are more likely to be vacuum sealed than other products to keep them fresh, whereas dried goods like cereals, powdered milk, and sugar are bagged to keep air out and prevent them from going stale.
To achieve this, the food manufacturing industry is filled with various machines that ensure food is adequately packed and delivered to the consumer without being tampered with. These packaging solutions differ based on an organization’s needs, so we have outlined several niche machines below, from case packers to tray packers, to help businesses determine what will benefit their food manufacturing line.
Case Packing/Tray Packing
Two of the most popular pieces of machinery in the food processing industry are case packers and tray packers, which, as the name suggests, are used for packing different products into containers. These systems are heavily used in the food and beverage industry due to the strict government rules and regulations they must adhere to to ensure that the highest hygiene levels are achieved.
These robotic case-packing solutions can package just about any product, no matter how niche, more time-efficiently than manual methods, which is why they’ve become so popular across the food industry. As well as helping organizations maximize their operations, packing machines have provided businesses with various other benefits, such as meeting customer demands, reducing labor costs, reducing product recalls/waste, better quality assurance, and much more.
Learn more about the additional benefits a packing machine could provide your food manufacturing line by visiting the websites of providers such as BluePrint Automation, whose experts specialize in developing tailored packaging automation systems that comply with your company’s needs. As well as specializing in automated packaging solutions, their carton loading, case packing, and tray loading solutions are used for many products, which can further assist those operating in the food processing industry. Consider learning more about how their innovative solutions could help your food manufacturing line, no matter how niche your product might be, by visiting their website, reading customer reviews, or contacting them directly for specific inquiries.
Checkweighers
Another piece of machinery that you should use within your food processing company is a check weigher, which, as the name suggests, helps check the weight of every product that passes through the end of the production process.
Doing so is essential due to the strict government rules and regulations the food industry is subjected to. The correct weight is needed to comply with any health and safety specifications. Failure to do so can result in any offending items being taken out of production immediately, so it’s essential to ensure that no unnecessary wastage is produced.
As well as helping to ensure the correct weight of each item produced, check weighers can get the job done in record time since they can weigh hundreds of things at once. Plus, it ensures that each item weighed measures the same as the last, meaning that no product is wasted and accurate results are produced each time.
Vacuum Sealers
As we touched upon in the introduction, vacuum sealers are another piece of machinery that is heavily relied upon in the food industry, as they can increase the shelf life of a product three to five times longer than other food packaging. Additionally, the product inside is temperature controlled, meaning there is less chance of the food going to waste.
Innovations in Food (& Beverage) Processing & Packaging is a quarterly magazine distributed globally both in Print and Digital formats. www.innovationsfood.com. Twitter: @Innovfoodtech. Instagram: @innovationsinfoodtechnology. Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/terry-prior52
