DRIVE
www.foodtechnology.co.nz 39
PA C K A G I N G
‘NO TOUCH’ MEAT
FOR MILLENNIALS
PACKING FACILITY INCREASES PRODUCTIVITY
More than 400 hectares of blueberries are grown
around New Zealand, predominantly in Waikato
and Hawke’s Bay. As the popularity of blueberries
grows, so does the demand on growers to optimise
their packing processes. EQM has recently helped
one blueberry producer improve its packing process.
Although the grading and sorting lines pack up to
180-200 punnets a minute, the accumulating table
at the end was creating a bottleneck.
EQM recommended a two-tier packing conveyor
system to optimise production, decrease the
packing area footprint and become a mobile unit.
END OF LINE
Packing Experts
Contact us today
0800 147 847 or visit eqm.co.nz
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PACK When it comes to powering, moving
and packing your products, EQM is
your go-to expert.
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Punnets are elevated up from the
punnet filling automation, onto a
check-weigher conveyor, then on to a
modular conveyor above, where they
accumulate before being loaded into larger cartons.
Cartons are loaded at a convenient height, stacked
three-high before being pushed onto the bottom
tier belt between the packing tables. The cartons
then travel along the conveyor to the pallet stacking
point. The system enables greater flexibility of
labour and can be operated by one person, or up to
six using variable speed controllers. If productivity is
It may sound like an April Fool’s Day joke,
but check your calendar…we are firmly into
May. Sainsbury’s in the UK is set to launch
touch-free packaging for its chicken pieces,
following surprising research that confirms
many Generation Y customers under the
age of 35 are frightened that touching raw
meat will give them food poisoning. The
new packaging, which has already rolled
into supermarkets this month, will allow
people to avoid coming into skin contact
with raw meat when cooking. The plastic
‘no touch’ pouches can be opened with a
single tear, appeasing millennials who are
time-restrained and picky about touching
their food. Product manager Katherine Hall
says the bags allow people – especially
those who are time-poor, to “just ‘rip
and tip’ the meat straight into the frying
pan without touching it.” According to
Sainsbury research, many young people
spend more time dining out than cooking
at home, which is why they’re less knowledgeable
about how to safely handle raw
meat. National Farmers’ Union chief food
chain adviser Ruth Mason says it is disconcerting
that shoppers are so removed from
their food that they have these concerns.
“But we are aware it is a growing trend
- and a lot of the data suggests there are
concerns about handling raw meat.” While
Sainsbury’s may believe it’s doing millennials
a favour by letting them cut out the
possibility of touching raw meat completely,
some have criticised the supermarket
for the detrimental environmental impact of
the proposed new plastic packaging. “So
they are adding MORE plastic packaging
when other retailers are trying to reduce?
Crazy @sainsburys! If you can’t bear to
touch raw meat you shouldn’t be eating it,”
says one Tweeter. However, Sainsbury’s
says that the ‘no touch’ pouches are made
using less plastic than other comparable
products. If the range of touch-free
packaged chicken proves a success, then
pork and fish products will also follow suit
in future.
rising and you can’t keep up, contact EQM today.
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