At this year’s Anuga FoodTec fair it was very clear that the dairy industry is looking towards a future that involves more intelligent, automated and sustainable production methods.
We talked to many visitors about the current challenges facing the dairy industry today and about the latest technologies, movements and trends that are gaining a lot of interest at the moment. Overall, we experienced a huge focus on innovative technologies such as in-line process control, process automation, Industry 4.0 and of course sustainability which has been a buzz word across the industry for quite some time.
Our team of experts was busy throughout the week presenting the latest analytical developments offering new ways to meet quality standards more consistently and discussing new ways of bringing process control into the future.
One of our booth visitors, Dairy Technologist, Katrine Thorstensen from TINE was very enthusiastic about the potential of in-line dairy quality control. We asked what her company is planning to implement in the coming years: “In-line measurements because that is the future. Together with robot technology.”, she explained.
Key Account Manager, Michael Sievers from FOSS confirms that many visitors were very interested in the latest developments within in-line process control. “They really want to see what can be achieved with in-line solutions and are always very impressed with the possibilities,” he said, explaining further that ProFoss™ 2, which can be connected via cloud to established benchtop analysers such as MilkoScan™ FT3 or the FoodScan™ 2 received a lot of attention.
“The most interesting trends I can see at the Anuga FoodTec this year are industry 4.0, moving the lab into the process and of course also the digital connections of the analytical solutions”, he continued. “This was reflected in a lot of interest and questions coming from visitors at the booth.”
We also spoke with Håkan Pålsson from TetraPak, who was presenting at the fair. Pålsson explained that he was looking into new smart sensors and analysis instruments that can be used in the process to get better control of specifications. He talked about how automation and digitalization can help to bring analytical data to the next level. This data, he explained, can be used “to make better decisions for our customers and ourselves to optimise the process.”
Besides a focus on gaining productivity, Tetra Pak is also focused on how automation enables sustainable production. “Saving water, chemicals and valuable ingredients. It’s the future. More smart analytical instruments for the future,” he concludes.
