FEATURE
INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
Processing and packaging
— cooling matters
By Ilana Koegelenberg
When it comes to the processing and packaging link in the cold chain, refrigeration plays a vital role in
extending the shelf life of products and ensuring quality is not compromised.
P
The exact do’s and don’ts will vary
depending on the product, of course,
but perishable products in general come
with a lot of red tape to ensure safety
throughout the cold chain. Some markets,
like pharmaceuticals for instance,
come with very strict requirements and
inspectors to ensure adherence, as the
reviously, we looked at the role of
refrigeration to prevent post-harvest
losses at the beginning of the cold
chain; during the producer ‘link’ in the
chain. We now continue the journey to
processing and packaging to see what
happens to perishable products after they
leave the farm.
Packaging plays a vital role in extending the shelf life of perishable products.
Food safety is crucial when processing perishable products, and
temperatures should be kept low to avoid bacterial growth.
smallest temperature variation could ruin
a vaccine.
Meat processing is also quite strict in
terms of exact temperature requirements
and specifications for packaging.
Understandably so if you think back to the
problems we had last year with the listeriosis
outbreak, for example.
I recently visited the Lynca Meats
processing plant in Meyerton, and their
attention to detail when it comes to
following the rules, is impressive. Inspectors
visit the site daily to ensure everything is up
to scratch. I had to get dressed from head
to toe in special white overalls, complete
with white boots and hairnet. I couldn’t
even get access to the plant without first
scrubbing the boots and removing all my
jewellery. Then once inside, you could
instantly feel the temperature difference.
When handling raw pork, there is no room
for taking chances.
This processing and packaging link is vital
in the chain. A lot happens in-between a
live pig coming in and leaving the facility
as a pack of ready-to-sell bacon. The
temperature has to be carefully controlled
to ensure that bacteria never have the
chance to thrive and that the product will
last its entire journey all the way onto the
consumer’s plate.
Biodegradation of perishable foods
takes place naturally unless some
stratagem is adopted to prevent or
delay this process. Bacon, vaccines,
fruit, or even mushrooms — anything
perishable — require careful temperature
control before reaching the transport link
in the chain.
The duration of journeys can vary
tremendously from a few days (as with
a fresh chilled vegetable) to a period of
months (as in the case of a block of frozen
fish). To protect the food, packaging
has to be suitable for the purpose, the
duration, and the complexity of the
storage and the journey.
We chat to a few local role players to
investigate just how crucial refrigeration is at
this point of the process.
COLD LINK AFRICA • May 2019
A GROWING MARKET
As an important pillar of the South African
economy, food and beverage production
has almost doubled in the past 10 years,
reaching R392-million in 2017, says Vera
Fritsche, member of the food and drink
technology (fdt) Africa advisory board
and head of packaging machinery within
Germany’s VDMA Food Processing and
Machinery Association. She says despite
a sluggish economy and lower consumer
spending power, South African packaged
food sales would continue to show solid
growth over the next five years.
According to the VDMA Food
Processing and Packaging Machinery
Association, more than seven million tons
of packed food were sold in South Africa
last year, and demand is expected to rise
by 6% until 2022.
As production increases, trends are
changing, and packaged foods are taking
a larger share of the market. Urbanisation
is picking up, and metros such as the
rapidly growing cities of Johannesburg,
Cape Town, and Durban are attracting a
younger generation of consumers, who are
changing their consumption habits and
are increasingly buying modern processed
and packaged foods, liquid food, and
beverages.
Fritsche said that despite a sluggish
economy and lower consumer spending
power, South African packaged food sales
would continue to show solid growth over
the next five years.
Fritsche said strong growth in demand
for packaged food and beverages
was also expected from other countries
across southern Africa in the next five
years, including Mozambique, Angola,
Zimbabwe, Zambia, Madagascar,
Botswana, and Namibia.
The increasing demand and production
of food, liquid food products, and
beverages are reflected in a corresponding
demand for modern processing and
packaging technologies.
Global exports of food processing
and packaging machines to South
www.coldlinkafrica.co.za
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