ProFood Tech will deliver an array of best practices and innovative solutions in processing to food and beverage professionals across small, medium and large-sized companies alike. Launched in 2017, ProFood Tech remains the first and only trade show of its kind in North America. The biennial show (March 26-28; McCormick Place, Chicago) offers a full range of processing solutions in baking and snack, beverage, frozen and prepared foods, dairy, as well as meat, poultry, and seafood.
ProFood Tech is powered by three global trade show leaders—PACK EXPO, Anuga and the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA)—and will draw 7,000 processing professionals and more than 400 of the world’s top suppliers to its expansive show floor, stacking up to more than 125,000 net square feet. The show’s 45 hours of educational programming will include sessions on regulatory changes, workforce development strategies and shifting consumer trends from leaders in the industry.
Attendees from a host of market segments will be sure to finds solution to suit their needs:
- The Dairy Pavilion, presented by IDFA, offers dairy producers a hub in which to connect with key industry suppliers, see the latest technologies in action, discover industry trends and benefit from exposure to crossover technologies.
- ProFood Tech Knowledge Hub, produced by IDFA, is an educational line-up that will address pressing business challenges across all food and beverage sectors with fresh ideas and strategies from respected industry leaders. The Hub will include discussions on best practices for cybersecurity and reducing food waste and deep dives into consumer trends that are changing the food and beverage landscape. Three separate venues will host the free programs on the show floor: the IMPACT Zone (Booth 220), the INNOVATION Zone (Booths 1500 and 1520) and the DISRUPTION Zone (Booth 363).
- The Cold Pressure Council Annual Conference is dedicated to high-pressure processing (HPP) and will feature insights from leading food processors, service providers and supplier experts on HPP best practices, the latest market trends and tips for packaging HPP products. The registration rate is only $495, and the co-located event will occur March 26-27, 2019.
- The Innovation Stage brings free education to the show floor to inform and inspire attendees. The Innovation Stage includes free, 30-minute seminars throughout the day, presentations by food and beverage processing industry leaders, coverage of breakthrough technologies, innovative applications and proven techniques and comfortable seating in a setting that is part lounge, part classroom.
- The Packaging & Processing Women’s Leadership Network (PPWLN) invites attendees to “Leading Change,” an interactive breakfast that will connect peers through networking exercises and shared experiences. Featured speakers Diane Wolf, consultant and former vice president at Kraft Foods and Karen Norheim, executive vice president at American Crane and Equipment Corporation, will explain how they successfully maneuvered the manufacturing environment to become a driving force of change at their respective companies.
Enjoy a sneak peek of some of the innovations attendees can expect to see at the show:
Cost-efficient heat-sealing robot maintains product quality
Schubert North America, LLC (Booth #853) will debut a heat-sealing robot in the Schubert Flowmodul for sensitive products. Using ultrasonic technology, the robot increases the temperature within the heat-sealing film without affecting the tools and machine part, keeping product flawless during longitudinal sealing. The technology also allows for program sealing to the millisecond and ensures constant sealing times, as the cross-sealing unit immediately adapts to the variable speed of upstream pick-and-place robots with each flowpack.
New stainless-steel bevel gearbox has a 96 percent dynamic efficiency
BJ-Gear (Booth #480) will display its stainless-steel helical bevel gearbox ideal for food processing operations. The stainless-steel gearbox, which is available in a range of sizes, grants manufacturers an energy-saving solution with a dynamic efficiency of 96 percent. The gearbox does not require shielding during cleaning, making sanitation simple. When mounted with a nitrile gasket motor, it can withstand pressure from powerful water jet cleaners at 100 liters of water per minute due to its IP66 protection degree.
Advanced parts for plant wearables enhance efficiency
Fogg Filler Company (Booth #1072) will present Spartan Parts, its line of improved time- and cost-efficient machine wearables. Spartan Parts feature stainless steel bearings as well as diaphragms designed to prevent delamination and greatly reduce cracking in areas of high stress. The wearables also include lifter bushings available in a variety of materials, and venting tubes that feature automated, sanitary welds improving cleanability and surface finishes.
Pulsed light technology delivers flexibility in a variety of equipment
Claranor (Booth #1306) presents pulsed light sterilization for flexible packaging that is adaptable across food and beverage industries. The cost-effective technology allows manufacturers to sterilize film, FFS pouches, pillow pouches, stick, spout and closures in a range of flexible packaging equipment. The sterilizer is compact, allowing for easy integration onto existing or new lines. It has been adapted for ultra-clean, ESL, high acid aseptic and heat-sensitive film.
Food grade feeder reduces contamination and increases production
Hoosier Feeder Company (Booth #876) will showcase the Hoosier Feeder Company Food-Grade Feeder System, which alleviates the difficulty of meeting high product demand while limiting contamination in food processing. Made from stainless steel and food grade plastics, the feeder can endure a 180 PSI washdown, minimizing contamination while increasing efficiency in cleaning and production. Varying conveyor belt widths and custom tooling features permit this feed system to adapt to a wide range of foods, supplying production lines with consistent, safe and correctly oriented product to keep facilities operating at its potential.
Hybrid extruder design offers energy and cost savings
Rocheleau (Booth #1135) will introduce the RS90 blow molding machine with the capacity to mold six-cavity one-gallon bottles, the core of this space- and energy-saving design. Compatible with a wide variety of bottle applications, the innovative hybrid extruder has a compact final drive, and dual injection cylinders mounted to pull the injection unit forward. The direct load vertical deflash automation also provides complete access to the molding area and improves safety for machine operators.
Infrared moisture delivers rapid test results
CEM (Booth #1137) will present the SMART Q, a rapid loss-on-drying (LOD) infrared moisture analyzer. The analyzer can provide results in an average of five minutes or less while traditional moisture measurement using air ovens can take anywhere from eight to 24 hours to complete. Designed for easy use, the technology is not sensitive to color, density or consistency changes, and it withstands the toughest manufacturing environments.
Custom coffee creamer blends streamline productivity
International Food Products Corporation (Booth #1085) will showcase its custom coffee creamer blends that streamline processing efficiency by eliminating the need to measure macro and micro ingredients. The customizable free-flowing blends contain all the required color, flavor and smooth mouthfeel stabilizer to complete the finished product in one step. The coffee creamer can meet various customizable needs including clean label, organic, varied texture and fat levels. It can also be tailored for a range of pack sizes and usage rates.
Multi-purpose analyzer offers greater flexibility and power
Bruker Corporation (Booth #1114) will display the MPA II, a multi-purpose analyzer designed to meet the demands of today’s and tomorrow’s quality control. The MPA II provides integrated spheres, fiber optic probes and transmission units needed for the analysis of liquids, semi-solids, solids, powders and tablets. The multipurpose analyzer is equipped with a permanent aligned RockSolid interferometer which provides consistent high-quality results, less downtime and outstanding stability; a precondition for reliable results and successful calibration transfer.
Manufacturers can find all the processing solutions they crave at ProFood Tech. For more information and to register online, visit profoodtech.com.
