The art and science of beverage technology
Thank you to everyone that attended our annual BevTech Europe 2023 conference in the Hilton Amsterdam! We have successfully concluded this informative and engaging networking event. We are extremely grateful for all that could participate. A massive thank you to our speakers and in particular, our sponsors for making the day the success. We are appreciative of our sponsors: Unisensor, Politech Plus and BCN Research Laboratories. We will be sharing more information about future events on the website soon.
As usual, the BevTech Europe planning committee promises a great line-up of speakers and presentations.
Take a look at the Programme, then be sure to register so you don't miss a single presentation! We look forward to seeing you on Thursday, September 21, 2023.
Download the Programme (Revised 09/20/2023)
The Green Deal and consumer behaviour are profoundly impacting the packaging choice for the beverage markets. The beverage market is required to take more responsibility for their entire packaging system. Although it can be expected that reuse system will play a role going forward, these systems are likely not going to be silver bullet many NGO's are claiming it to be. Single use packaging will have a key position, but NGO and public will remain critical towards the beverage sector. The beverage market seems to have developed a vision on the PET bottle of the future, and now needs to create a vision to position the aluminium beverage can to keep the freedom of choice for its packaging developers and support the proposition of brand in the market. Net Zero, CBAM, ETS. EPR legislation, litter debates across Europe are pushing the aluminium beverage can into a close loop. It is up to all the actors in the supply chain to make it happen and by doing so decarbonize the supply chain.
Robert-Jan ter Morsche has been working in the field of packaging, waste, sustainability, and governmental affairs for 25 years.
After graduating in International management at Maastricht University, he began his professional career in the corrugated cardboard industry. In 2001 he joined the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) organization in the Netherlands. Later he joined an independent consultant in waste management sector. In 2012, Robert-Jan was appointed Director of ENVAQUA: Dutch association of environmental technology companies (waste, air, water, land and energy) and as director for the Dutch metal packaging association. In 2014, he transferred to Ball Packaging as Regulatory Affairs manager for Benelux and France. When Ardagh Group acquired the European network from Ball Packaging Robert-Jan joined the Ardagh Group, become Governmental affairs Director Europe. In this role he is responsible for governmental affairs across Europa and at regional level for both Ardagh Metal Packaging and Ardagh Glass Packaging.
HASYTEC has developed an Ultrasound patented technology with Artificial Intelligence that has been awarded the German Innovation Award 2020 and even been nominated for the German Environmental Award 2022 because the application of this technology prevents organic and inorganic deposits in pipes, tanks, cooling towers, vapor condensers, plate / shell / tube heat exchangers, bottler washers, pasteurizers, etc. which improves production efficiency, production time, reduces cleaning requirements, saves resources like water and energy, prevents bio-corrosion, extends maintenance cycles and make the whole production process more efficient and profitable.
The ultrasound transducers are installed on strategic points at the exterior of the equipment, the vibration generates micro-bubbles of the liquid running inside and those will keep the solids moving to reduce the accumulation of build-up and avoids the growth of biofilms.
Over the last 17 years, Marcus has gained diverse experience in various technology sectors, both in Germany and internationally. His expertise lies in international sales & marketing, product management, and business development. Marcus spent 4 years in Chicago, IL, USA, where he successfully established the US subsidiary for his previous company and significantly enhanced its reputation and presence. He joined the HASYTEC team in 2021, aiming to further extend their global reach and make meaningful contributions to environmental protection.
In his leisure time he enjoys traveling, playing golf, and hiking and swimming with his daughter.
It's hardly surprising that 96% of packaging decision-makers said that packaging innovation is important. But what is perhaps more surprising is that 71% say that current testing standards present a challenge when it comes to facilitating these new developments. These insights are presented by Industrial Physics, the global packaging, product, and material test and inspection partner that surveyed 284 professionals on this topic.
Across the research, findings associated with metal packaging unearthed a whole host of innovation insights. Almost half (48%) said lightweighting presented one of the biggest innovation opportunities, and green goals such as waste reduction (57%), sustainability, (55%), and recyclability (54%) came out on top, indicating a shift towards the undeniable eco-friendly properties of metal.
But while this new research infers that a growth in metal packaging seems prominent, what does this mean for production and testing? What are the practicalities of this appetite from manufacturers? The expert team at Industrial Physics are ready to talk to the audience at ISBT about just that!
Developments in packaging are just one piece of the puzzle. And to truly deliver the package of the future, innovation in testing must be allowed to flourish. Solutions like the Steinfurth NICO – the world's first handheld non-invasive CO2 analyzer, offer a truly unique approach. We're ready to come face to face with the future of testing and address the challenges we've uncovered surrounding testing standards, the high cost of expertise, and gaps of knowledge across the industry. Together, we can unpack the various ways in which the future of metal packaging relies upon strong and reliable testing solutions.
In the current time it is becoming clearer than before that the pursuit of basic needs, security and sustainability will be the drivers for the vision of innovations for future challenges, opportunities and strategies. These are the main value drivers, which are also particularly important in the beverage industry. The way of developing sustainable packaging and beverage production processes will follow them. This will be the main focus of this presentation.
It all starts with sustainable processing. This includes a holistic view in which more and more the CO2 footprint is evaluated and minimized through energy-neutral production of a production line – starting with producing the beverage, fill it in containers and follow the whole production chain. This also includes looking at the life cycle assessment of the packaging. LCA and energetic simulations are increasingly helping to achieve these goals.
As a further aspect, the demands of the circular economy initiatives strongly influence the future of packaging. This means above all the question of what goes beyond plastic. The useful packaging of the future is biobased, biodegradable, and recyclable. A solution to this can be a free formable bottle made from natural pulp fibres.
In this presentation you will be guided through essential steps of these ways of solutions.
Dr. Jörg Zacharias graduated in 1997 at the Technical University of Munich in Weihenstephan as an engineer in Food Science. 2003 he finished his post-graduate studies with a doctoral degree at the affiliated department of fluid-mechanics and process-automation. Over the last years he was and still is active as associate lecturer in various fields as mechanical and food process technology as well as for plant design and control.
In 2005 he moved to Krones AG in the research and development department, where he was significantly involved in the development of various future technologies. For it he is an expert for hygienic design, process technology, packaging, particle analysis and the matters of rheology of all kinds of beverages. Further with his expertise he is involved in the development of several manuals and guidelines in the field of soft drinks and brewing as for the EBC, EHEDG, ISBT and MEBAK.
Among other things, he is currently a Co-Chair of BevTech Europe and the 1st Vice Chair of the Beverage Operations and Processing Committee at the ISBT.
For the purpose of a sustainable future and a significant reduce in resource consumption automatization has achieved major steps, with new ones joining constantly. Broken down for the Beverage Industry the reduction in consumption of resources is a must to reach ecological sustainability goals and also a relevant support factor when it comes to economic sustainability. The latter gains importance due to continuing global insecurity.
Referencing to automatized quality control within the production process of a beverage we have either the option to control parameters inline and keep resource input on a specified level or control the parameters in the packaged beverage, also without any human interaction. With both options we gain the advantages of fast results, high accurate analysis and reduced potential of errors. All three benefits in lowering the waste of resources.
The second option, the automatized quality control with the packaged beverage enables to release the freshly filled products in time and offers the possibility to analyse more values compared to inline measurement. It gives the potential to save time, make fast process adjustments and free time of technicians and operators. In addition, the precise measurement allows, with narrowing the range of measurement inaccuracy, to use the right quantity of input material and not waste a bit of resources.
Lukas holds a degree in Food Management and Industrial Engineering, studied at FH Joanneum, Graz and Kapfenberg. After that he worked as Quality Manager and in Sales within the Food Industry, with a Focus on the Juice and the Beverage Industry. Following he joined Anton Paar in 2022 as Key Account Manager Beverages and Food, connecting and adding value between global companies in the Beverage Industry and Anton Paar.
Thermal processed juices and beverages can be spoiled by heat-resistant microorganisms such as Alicyclobacillus spp. (TAB/ACB) and heat-resistant molds (HRM). These microorganisms produce heat-resistant spores that can survive the thermal treatment and spoil the product during storage. These products can also be spoiled by heat-sensitive microorganisms such as the lactic acid bacteria (LAB), the acetic acid bacteria (AAB), yeasts and molds. For hot-filled products, the contamination by these microorganisms occurs after the filler and is usually due to faulty caps and seal, delayed internal vacuum formation, excessive moisture on the threads, and biofilm in the cooling tunnel among others. This presentation will present an overview of the types of spoilage of thermal processed juices and beverages and review the different ways to prevent it. Can we prevent spoilage? Are we doing enough to prevent it? Are we there yet?
Dr. Emilia Rico is a native of Spain. She received her M.S. and Ph.D. in Food Technology and Science with emphasis in food microbiology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN. She is the founder, owner, and CEO of BCN Research Laboratories, Inc. in Rockford, TN.
She is well known for her expertise in food and beverage spoilage as well as for expertise in food safety and sanitation. She has been trained in food mycology by world leading food mycologists. Since 2003, Dr. Emilia Rico has been an active member of the prestigious International Commission on Food Mycology (ICFM).
She has co-authored two chapters in the 5th edition of the Compendium of Methods for the Microbiological Examination of Foods (CMMEF, 2015, APHA) in heat-resistant molds (HRM) and pet foods and has published several papers on food and beverage fungal spoilage and methodology. She has trained numerous food and beverage company personnel in food and beverage microbiology and mycology from the U.S. as well as Latin America and Europe.
Beverage Recovery Systems, a two-part system, is #1 a closed loop option for conventional beverage manufacturing where the "Sweetening of the Bowl" at start of each Flavors production run goes to drain as "Off Spec" beverage. The System recovers product that would normally be blown out of filler heads during start-up. The system also recovers product normally loss due to unexpected shut downs in mechanical failures, power interruptions, etc.
This product is recovered and re-introduced into process. This eliminates Waste Treatment charges and recovers cost of making this product.
Part# 2 of system provides seamless bulk syrup tank changes regarding time and quality as well as matching number of containers in line to amount of syrup in tanks.
The presentation is a complete case study with verified results from top Bev industry group that provided verification of the product recovered in relation to the BOD Reduction. It's a simple solution to age old problem that conventional fillers have which brings efficiency of old equipment up to todays no waste standards. These results take two major cost items off of companies P&L and add a significant profit line almost immediately (30-ish days).
We envision a process that leverages our advanced capabilities, coupled with internal & external collaboration, to fast-track package development coupled with sustainable material analysis - optimization" Sketch on Monday product on Friday!
Our presentation will provide the industry with a high-level overview of Pack Development Process, enhance streamlined new ways of working will be presented, in line with sustainable PepsiCo objectives. We have partnered with BMT Belfast to enable this so will execute PPT jointly.
Caroline Holland is an R&D Packaging Manager working with PepsiCo. She studied at the Sacred heart Secondary School in Clonakilty, specifically enjoying Biology, Physics and Maths along with Art, completing Leaving Cert there and successfully went on to achieve a degree in Biotechnology from Waterford Institute of Technology & continued education gaining a Diploma in Packaging Technology, UCD (through skill net Ireland / UK). Also obtaining HACCP certification post completing a one-year course in Australia through work, University NSW.
Caroline started her career as a Laboratory Technician working at St. James gate Guinness Brewery Dublin / Diageo. She worked as part of the quality team, physio analytical, microbiology and sensory analytics departments there, initially starting as junior technician and progressing to senior technician managing night shifts by lab & responsible for releasing product. This was a fast paced and challenging role opening opportunities to network in many areas of the business & with key stakeholders internally and externally. After almost 3 years there Caroline took the decision to travel to Australia and began working at large Global Beverages firm Fosters. Within this role Caroline worked to lead the Quality team & lab team, also back filling the production managers role during this time, ensuring agendas were met and line efficiencies improved. She worked across two separate manufacturing sites during this time where she was accountable for various products produced from liqueurs & spirits to ciders and beers. It was during this time Caroline developed her passion towards packaging, engineering, design, innovation & packaging productivity & sustainability. She was offered a 5-year sponsorship to stay in Australia by Fosters which she accepted to continue her career there. She then moved back home to Ireland where she commenced in her role at PepsiCo in the Packaging arena, working for almost 8 years in the Global Governance and Compliance team, QAMS Packaging supporting Trade quality Packaging and in Plant Packaging capabilities. Then moving to R&D Beverages Packaging is now responsible for supporting our Global Beverage Innovation, Productivity, Sustainability & Brand stewardship activity by managing x2 internal Global Labs at Cork R&D & Valhalla R&D in the USA she also works closely with 75 plus externally approved labs and suppliers to Pepsico daily.
Lukasz began his academic journey in Ireland at Douglas Community School, where he earned the Leaving Certificate and Regional and International Project Award. He then studied Mechanical Engineering at Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) and furthered his education with a degree in Process Plant Tech from Munster Technological University (MTU).
In 2010, Lukasz started collaborating with Pepsi as a contractor, working with BJS Consultants on construction management and made significant process improvements and played a key role in LOTO development within PGCS and R&D. Lukasz's journey with Pepsi took a new direction in November 2022 when he transitioned to the role of Makers Space Lead within the Packaging Team. In this role, Lukasz oversees incoming packaging prototyping requests, streamlines processes, and plays an instrumental part in the development of Pepsi's new Makers Space in Cork.
With a decade of dedicated service to Pepsi and an unrivalled passion for innovation, Lukasz's contributions reflect his commitment to excellence and his vision for a future where packaging meets perfection.
Dr. David McKelvey is currently employed at BMT as Project Lead, where he is responsible for designing, developing and delivering bespoke projects for the FMCG industry. Projects consist of simulation services, analytical model development and implementation along with assisting clients on their journey towards sustainable solutions. The key aspect of his role is translating the virtual and physical data generated during the project into tangible actions for the client in the short-term whilst helping the client develop the tools they require in the long-term. The innovative nature of this work is highlighted by the two US patents he has contributed towards as a co-inventor.
Prior to the role in BMT, David received his PhD from The Queen's University of Belfast in 2018 where his research was funded by a Fortune 500 company and focused on analysing and quantifying the key material requirements for stretch blow moulding (SBM). The research was awarded a grant for beamtime at Diamond Light Source using a state-of-the-art synchrotron x-ray source, where he conducted a series of custom high-rate biaxial deformation experiments. This research lead to the development of a unique understanding of polymer science relative to SBM. The project also involved collaborations with subject matter experts in the school of chemical engineering at California Institute of Technology and the school of mechanical engineering at École des mines d'Albi.
CO2 purity often depends on the CO2 manufacturing process, plant purification methods, storage, transportation, and point of use conditions. For the beverage industry, CO2 is produced by combustion, fermentation, or as a byproduct of ammonia or hydrogen production. Both the CO2 preparation and the supply chain can introduce contaminants, such as air, acetaldehyde, benzene, methanol, sulphur content, and hydrocarbons.
Advances in FTIR spectroscopy now allow for real-time analysis of absolute CO2 purity and all the normal trace impurities (including total sulphur content) specified by ISBT using a single FTIR gas analyzer, resulting in a method and system that does not rely on UV fluorescence. Instead, the FTIR measures total sulphur as SO2. This measurement relies on an oxidizer module, which includes a furnace for converting the reduced sulphur present, such as H2S, CS2, COS, mercaptans, and/or other compounds, to SO2. It was initially thought that eliminating a UV fluorescence analyzer for total sulphur detection would present some disadvantages. This presentation will address these concerns and demonstrate the accuracy and linearity of the total sulphur measurement.
In addition to the measurement of trace level impurities, the FTIR now allows for the simultaneous analysis of CO2 purity at 100±0.02%. However, an accurate and reproducible percentage (%) of CO2 analysis requires precise control of temperature and pressure, along with precise FTIR spectra and routine validation against an ultrahigh purity CO2 reference gas.
This presentation will discuss best practices for quality assurance. Field data will be also presented to demonstrate potential differences in CO2 purity depending on its source and storage.
Ruben van der Wulp is the Business Development Representative for the MAX-IR Gas Solutions within the company Thermo Fisher Scientific for the EMEA region. With a MSc degree in Biomedical Engineering obtained at the Eindhoven University of Technology, he joined Thermo Fisher Scientific in 2020. Ruben is an expert in FTIR, NIR & Raman analysis. Since 2023, his focus is on FTIR gas analysis and associated business development for the EMEA region. Together with his colleagues he investigates new market opportunities and determines what is needed in terms of technology and regulation.
Anthropogenic CO2 sources are part of our daily activities, e.g., emissions for industrial sources, chemical production and very often require burning fossil fuels. Biogenic CO2, is the carbon dioxide (CO2) resulting from the decomposition, digestion, or combustion of biomass or biomass-derived products. Capturing and utilization of natural short carbon cycle Biogenic CO2 reduces the industrial market needs from anthropogenic CO2, directly contributing to Europe's climate neutrality target.
European biogas installed base is growing yearly in quantity and RNG volume. In 2020 18 billion cubic meters (bcm) was produced, where 35 bcm is the 2030 goal increasing to 95 bcm in 2050. With this growth the biogenic CO2 potential grows in parallel, 24 Mton in 2020, 46 Mton in 2030 and up to 140 Mton in 2050.*
Recovering the Biogenic CO2 suitable for food and beverage grade applications, requires quality monitoring, process control and analytical solutions from the food safety perspective. Ensuring these analyzers are evaluating the correct components, potentially beyond what is commonly tested for, a gas fingerprint analysis to identify the potential contaminants is essential.
Therefore, understanding the process and evaluating the certification protocol for quality is critical. Defining standards around this requirement will help in making biogenic CO2 more quickly accessible to the market, maintain food safety standards and helping with market acceptance and consumer trust.
*Source 2022 EBA with-paper "Biogenic-CO2-from-the-biogas-industry"
Jeroen Driessen is the Chief Technical Officer of SFP Group BV in the Netherlands responsible for the project execution for our business. Jeroen joined the SFP Group in June 2022 leveraging his broad experience in RNG upgrading equipment and operation to join a dynamic, innovative team utilizing his drive and skills, enabling SFP Group to continue to lead RNG system implementations.
SFP Group produces sustainable fuel (RNG) and biogenic CO2 by building and operating scalable and easily reproducible biogas installations at strategic locations, both at home and abroad, based on the DBOOM concept (Design, Build, Own, Operate, Maintain), whereafter completion of the inhouse development of a new site the entire project is executed utilizing SFP's inhouse substantial core and knowledge base.
Jeroen has over 30 years of industry experience, ranging from process development, project management, engineering management and global sales, both in RNG & Biogenic CO2. Jeroen is an open, direct, engaging and good-humored leader who thrives best with limited restrictions and boundaries to develop opportunities.
The traditional supply chain for liquid CO2 used in the food and beverage industry is broken. In some regions, supply shortages which used to be the exception are now the norm. Severe supply shortages have been experienced over the past few years in the UK, US, Mexico, Japan, Spain, Italy, South Africa and many other countries, leading to spikes in pricing and shortages causing shutdowns of production facilities.
What is causing these supply shocks and how will the industry develop going forward to improve the security of supply for liquid CO2? While today's supply chain shocks are primarily due to a shift in ammonia production capacity to regions with lower energy cost, even more significant challenges may be looming on the horizon with the development and implementation of carbon sequestration and sustainable carbon technologies. These developments are now starting to compete with the traditional producers of liquid CO2 to control the large and relatively pure streams of raw CO2 coming off of ammonia, bio-ethanol, hydrogen and other production processes.
How will the industry deal with this, and what are the options to replace these traditional supply sources for the CO2 industry? Biogas production from Anaerobic Digestion and the supply of Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) is seen as an up-and-coming supply option for CO2 recovery. But this comes with many economic and technical challenges that need to be embraced and managed by both the producers and users of CO2. What are these challenges, and what is needed to take advantage of the opportunities that this alternative source of CO2 offers?
This presentation will give some insight into the development of CO2 recovery from Biogas/RNG sources and will outline the challenges and impact that these developments have on the supply of food and beverage grade liquid carbon dioxide.
Gary Robson founded Sure Purity Limited in 2016. The company is based in Blaydon on Tyne and is an award-winning manufacturer of specialized filtrations systems for the beverage industry. Our technology is used throughout the industry and is a critical component to ensuring consumer safety. Since 2020, the use of the product has been made a mandatory requirement by two of the largest soft drink brand owners and is being sold worldwide.
Sure Purity has seen rapid growth doubling turnover every year since launching its core product range in 2019, now present in over 100 countries, the company has earned a reputation for providing high quality products at competitive prices and is known for providing a high level of knowledgeable support to its client base. Sure Purity products are sold through a network of authorised, specialist sales and service partners throughout the world. This network continues to expand as new partners are added. The company was recognized in 2022 for its rapid international sales growth by being awarded the prestigious Queens Award for International Trade.
Gary Robson is well known and respected within the beverage industry, he is a long-standing member of the industry's technical body; the International Society of Beverage Technologists (ISBT) and served two terms on its Board of Directors and was the organisation's President in 2019.
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