Wire Belt Co. now offers new Slim-Profile Sprockets, designed exclusively for CompactGrid conveyor belts. The new Slim-profile sprockets are an alternative solution for driving your CompactGrid conveyor belts, offering less mass than the company’s standard drive components. Slim-profile sprockets have less material, which means a company’s conveyor won’t work as hard to keep the process moving, increasing a company’s efficiencies. The sprockets are available in stainless steel or polyacetal plastic, and they are easily installed on an existing drive setup.

Wire Belt Co., phone (603) 644-2500 or visit www.wirebelt.com

Ashworth Bros. has successfully completed testing the Omni-Pro 075 to withstand 150 pounds of tension for 100,000 cycles (competition tests for 50,000 cycles). The strength rating is the highest among all standard weight spiral/turn-curve belts in the industry. The shorter pitch of the Omni-Pro 075 is ideal for small products and closer transfers. By eliminating traditional “bridge” welding and utilizing a patented 360-degree weld, Omni-Pro belts are capable of withstanding the highest loads in their class, without failure. The 360-degree buttonless weld is free from surface imperfections and crevices, which improves hygienic characteristics by eliminating bacteria entrapments.

Ashworth Bros. Inc., phone (800) 682-4594 or visit www.ashworth.com

Gas Flush Bag

Super Polyfresh gas flush bags from Polytarp Products are designed for bulk and fresh tray-pack applications. They offer an optimum shelf life and high strength properties to prevent pinholes, and have a high clarity for retail scanning. The bags, available in both a single- and dual-pouch format, help maintain product weight and increase productivity through a shorter sealing dwell-time. The company’s engineers will help design a bag to a user’s specific application.

Polytarp Products, phone (800) 606-2231 or visit www.polyfresh.com

Poultry Processing Line

Systemate introduces the Swift-Line, a complete new concept in poultry processing, consisting of standard elements. The Swift-Line enables processors to arrange their processing plant according to their own needs and wishes, giving them full flexibility. The Swift-Line consists of “plug & play” elements, which can be installed in virtually any processing plant. Limited floorspace is required, which is an advantage for processors with a smaller production plant. The line can be adapted and extended to the customer’s wishes, as no overhead steel construction is required. All utilities are integrated in the overhead conveyor.

Systemate Numafa B.V., phone +31 (0) 186-650750 or visit www.systematenumafa.nl

Fryer

Heat and Control’s MasterTherm continuous fryer cooks each piece of product at the same temperature for consistently uniform color and texture. Designed to fry a variety of foods, MasterTherm features a unique U-tube thermal fluid heat exchanger that evenly heats cooking oil throughout the fryer. A small volume of thermal fluid rapidly circulates through the heat exchanger, maintaining a consistent cooking temperature and quickly adjusting to changes in product load. Uniform heating also eliminates oil currents, which force product to one side of the fryer, causing coating damage and uneven transfer to inspection and packaging operations.

Heat And Control Inc., phone (510) 259-0500 or visit www.heatandcontrol.com

Cook-Chill System

CMS, known as a specialist in packaging systems and products for the meat and food processing industries, recently introduced the new Flavorseal Cook-Chill System, the single-source solution for any company interested in saving time and money through implementation of a cook-chill program. The Flavorseal Cook-Chill System provides all of the cook-chill components, from equipment to packaging supplies to training and consultation. CMS’ on-staff chef is also available throughout the process to assist customers with everything from product selection to implementation, including setup and training of personnel on the equipment and in the cook-chill process.

CMS, phone (866) 769-1500 or visit www.cmsflavorseal.com

Coating System

JBT FoodTech launched its new Stein Ultra V Coating System. The system is designed to handle a variety of batter types and dry coating materials with simple, fast changeover. The Ultra V line includes three machines. The Breader has a flexible design that allows operators to use a range of coatings. The Batter Applicator features improved process control and repeatability for both standard and light tempura batters. The Batter Mixer’s semi-automated features that can handle a wide range of standard batters and tempura. A three-wave valve and independent drive for the mixer and pump also enhance flexibility while ensuring efficiency.

JBT FoodTech, phone (419) 626-0304 or visit www.jbtfoodtech.com

Can Seamer Fluid

Petro-Canada announced that its Purity FG Seamer-E Fluid is recognized by PneumaticScaleAngelus, one of the world’s largest OEMs of can seamer machines. The fluid is a mineral oil-based product formulated for use in high-speed continuous lubrication seaming units. All components comply with FDA regulation 21 CFR 178.3570. The product is also registered by NSF as an H1 lubricant for use in food processing plants where incidental food contact may occur. Other benefits include product stability for extended fluid life, excellent load-carrying properties and corrosion inhibition.

Petro-Canada, phone (888) 284-4572, or visit lubricants.petro-canada.ca

Checkweigher

Thermo Fisher Scientific, offers the Thermo Scientific Versa 8120, a highly accurate and reliable checkweigher. Suitable for cartons, cans, bottles and pouches in dry or wet environments, the Versa 8120 can handle weighing, control and reject functions at line speeds up to 700 packages per minute, depending on the application. The rugged chain design of the checkweigher makes it easy to clean and maintain. The simplified “design and minimal number of moving parts in the frame greatly reduces vibration, allowing for superior weighing accuracy and performance. It is available in a stand-alone pedestal version or with a standard, integrated conveyor.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., phone (978) 670-7460 or visit www.thermo.com/checkweighers

Sealing System

The new ultrasonic sealing technology from Sigpack Systems is a cost-effective and efficient solution for the horizontal packaging of solid products in pillow packs. The seals at the longitudinal and transverse seams are narrower, so less packaging material is required. Additionally, compared to conventional heat-sealing, the material itself can be of a lower thickness so energy costs are reduced. The agglutination of hot sealing jaws with foil leftovers causes a high maintenance effort associated with machine downtime. Ultrasonic sealing eliminates this challenge with sound-based sealing that removes heat from the sealing process.

Bosch Packaging Technology, visit www.boschpackaging.com

Barrier Film

The newest addition to Cryovac’s Freshness Plus line of active packaging materials yields superior oxygen protection by incorporating scavenging material into the barrier layer of film. Because the scavenging polymer is built into the film, the scavenging components trap oxygen that can slowly migrate into the film from the package headspace or from the environment. Ideal for oxygen sensitive products and products with a long shelf life, Freshness Plus active barrier films do not require moisture to activate the scavenging reaction and are equally effective with wet or dry products.

Sealed Air, phone (800) 845-3456, or visit www.freshnessplus.com.

Association news

PATS is a promising new food sterilization process that utilizes high pressure to produce temperatures that ensure the production of commercially sterile low-acid food products while significantly improving food quality attributes. The novel process, developed under a Dual Use Science and Technology (DUST) contract, was accepted in February by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a new alternative to commercial sterilization under the low-acid canned food regulations.

The North American Meat Processors Association has announced a new Center of the Plate Training short course, Sept 21-22, at Kendall College in downtown Chicago. The course begins at 10 a.m. on Day One to allow participants to travel that morning and save on hotel expenses. It ends at 4 p.m. on Day Two, to allow participants to get home that evening. This short course provides the same great instruction on center-of-the-plate protein items as the regular three-day course but in a concentrated format. It covers beef, veal, lamb and pork cuts. Steve Olson, from USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, is the primary instructor. To register, visit www.namp.com.

Supplier news

“The future of food process machinery purchasing is going this way, where the customer can demand to go into a kitchen and actually try out their product on the machinery,” predicts David Howard, CEO of Unitherm. “Only then can they feel confident that the equipment best serves their operational parameters and expected results.”

Innophos Inc. is expanding its Coatzacoalcos, Mexico, facilities to significantly increase the site’s foodgrade phosphate salts and foodgrade phosphoric acid capacities. As the largest specialty phosphates producer based in North America, Innophos plans to support the worldwide growth for its products, providing high-quality foodgrade phosphates and phosphoric acid throughout North and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia. Following the expansion of its tri-calcium phosphate plant at Chicago Heights, completed at the end of March, Innophos is implementing the expansion of the existing foodgrade phosphoric acid production plant. It is also upgrading the existing facilities to manufacture a full range of foodgrade sodium and potassium phosphate salts. The expansion and upgrades will be completed within the next six to 12 months.

Kerry Group, the global ingredients and flavors and consumer foods group, inaugurated its new state-of-the-art Kerry Center in Beloit, Wis., to spearhead customer product commercialization into the future. The new 250,000-square-foot innovation and commercial center, completed at a cost of $50 million, supports Kerry’s integrated approach to meeting customer-specific innovation requirements and product solutions in the American food and beverage industries. The Kerry Center will provide industry access to all Kerry ingredients and flavors technologies through dedicated customer application suites, culinary theatres, sensory services and customer application pilot production facilities.

Haskell has expanded its process services capabilities through ownership in PTS Engineering, an Atlanta-based process-engineering firm specializing in the food and beverage industries. The combination of Haskell and PTS will provide clients with more than 200 years of practical hands on building, process and packaging experience. John-Paul Saenz, Haskell vice president and food/beverage division leader, describes ownership in PTS Engineering as a “strategic fit. PTS Engineering expands Haskell’s turnkey capabilities with their unique process and packaging expertise.”

Intelligrated Inc., a leading American-owned supplier of integrated material-handling systems, announced that it successfully completed the purchase of FKI Logistex operations located in North and South America from Melrose plc, a UK–based specialist manufacturing investment group. The strategic combination was definitively signed on May 28 and was made final on June 19. The company also announced that Steve Ackerman, former president of FKI Logistex North America, has been appointed executive vice president. Ackerman has more than 28 years of experience in the automated material handling industry and has held an executive management role for FKI Logistex or one of its companies for over a decade.

Hyster Co., a leading lift truck designer and manufacturer in North America, celebrates its 80th year as a lift truck manufacturer this year. Hyster was born when Willamette Iron & Steel, originally a lumber carrier manufacturer, merged with two other companies in 1929 to form a new company named Williamette Ersted. The name was eventually changed to Hyster Company, a reference to laborers shouting “Hoist ’er!” when a load was ready to be lifted. For the past 80 years Hyster Co. has been dedicated to providing customers with the best value for their investment. Since introducing a smaller lift truck in 1941 and moving into the container handling market in 1959, Hyster Co. now offers 130 models of lift trucks configured for gasoline, LPG, diesel, or electric power, with the widest capacity range in the industry — 2,000 lb. to 115,000 lb.