In this edition:
Feature Article
HyLife Foods Equipment Expansion
HyLife Foods has invested $176 million in an expansion of its main processing plant located in Neepawa, Manitoba as well as new finishing barns. The total investment has created over 165 new jobs at the Manitoba food plant, which now currently employs over 2,000 people.
President of HyLife Foods, Claude Vielfaure, suggests the expansion in Neepawa comes as a result of the growing demand for Canadian pork in Japan and China as well as in North America. Tri-Mach Group was the successful contractor selected to design and install new processing and
packaging conveyors along with the installation of all capital equipment, a new state-of-the-art hands-free continuous shoulder cut line, hog delivery rail system and GAM return.
This has been a landmark project for Tri-Mach Group, designing, fabricating and installing an, astounding 1.1 kilometers of conveyors including additional cut, packaging and processing lines, and main primal break. During the seven month long installation process, TriMach Group worked hand-in-hand with HyLife Foods as well as various trades and construction crews for the placement of equipment, mechanical and electrical utility services.
Tri-Mach Group is honored to work with HyLife Foods in creating a world-class facility, to meet the high demand of quality Canadian pork around the world. We are proud to be a partner of HyLife Foods and congratulate them on a very successful project and bright future in the Canadian pork industry.
hylife.com
HyLife Invests $176 Million in Integrated Pork Processing Assets
Industry Trends
Online Grocery Shopping
Welcome to the world of online grocery shopping – where at the click of a button, you can order everything from produce to fresh meats and have them delivered right to your front door. There has been a lot of discussion in the media lately about how modern technologies have begun to disrupt the food supply and distribution sectors— and for a good reason. There are specific technologies out there such as BlockChain, grocery mobile apps and grocery delivery services that have all made a considerable impact in the packaging industry — and continue to do so.
However, there is one aspect of the entire food and grocery industry that often gets overlooked, and that relates to how food is packaged, stored and preserved. This is especially true in the face of online stores, such as Amazon and Whole Foods’ latest venture. Amazon’s partnership as an online grocery store (Amazon Fresh Delivery Service), has become a true game-changer for the food industry, and will open up many new doors and opportunities as to how food is sold, transported and handled.
According to Bevnet’s news report from 2014, online grocery shopping now accounts for over three percent of all total grocery shopping — which comes to a total value of $23 billion in annual sales. If these online grocery platforms are really going to make their mark in the food industry, food packaging will need to learn how to properly adapt and evolve right along with all of these changes.
For instance, if the food isn’t handled appropriately, online grocery stores will not only lose business, but companies can also get in a lot of trouble. When it comes to online grocery shopping, it is important to consider factors such as food contamination and the spread of foodborne illnesses. These hazards are a huge concern for the online food and grocery industry. Looking at the current landscape, product packaging needs to promote quality, sustainability and product presentation when delivering to customers.
These three aspects, as well as more efficient improvements, will drive the state of food packaging industry and distribution in today’s online grocery market to a successful future.
Why Food Packaging Needs to Adapt: Welcome To The World Of Online Grocery
Report: Online Grocery Business To Hit $100 Billion In Sales by 2019
New at Tri-Mach Group Inc.
World Class IV Bag Production Line
There is a lot of new equipment being built at the Tri-Mach Group headquarters this year. One project in particular has challenged Tri-Mach Group to advance our design and manufacturing capabilities. In partnership with ACIC Pharmaceutical Machinery, Tri Mach Group has developed a world-class IV bag production line, integrating all OEM equipment from form-fill-sealing to casepackaging.
This project not only tested Tri-Mach Group’s design and build capabilities, but also highlights the use of new integration technologies, such as high-speed diverters and merges, 90-degree orientation transfers and 180-degree spiral flipping conveyors. In addition to all of these systems, TriMach Group has developed and designed a particulate matter inspection booth for visual inspection of foreign materials. Despite the complexities and size of this project, TriMach Group has not only met but exceeded customer requirements and expectations.
According to the FDA, after Hurricane Maria there has been a significant shortage of IV bags in North America. Tri-Mach Group is proud to promote the production of this new IV bag line and be a part of the solution to the tight product supply. The Tri-Mach team is excited to make an impact on the pharmaceutical industry and to take part in such an innovative project.
Food Safety 101
The Basics of Food Plant Sanitation
According to BlockTalk Magazine, food manufacturers and their employees invest a huge amount of time, money, and effort to produce top-quality equipment for the food industry. Because of this, it is important to understand
that the same effort should go into sanitation precautions, to create a safe and a consistent environment in food processing plants. The Food Safety Alliance (FSA) suggests four steps that cover the basics of cleaning and plant sanitation that should be used in any food manufacturing facility. The four steps are: area preparation, pre-rinsing, detergent washing, and post-rinse and sanitizing.
The first step of sanitation is area preparation. The equipment and work area must be prepped and ready to be cleaned. In any food plant, cleaning can take shape in many different forms, such as: CIP (clean in place), COP (clean out of place) and foam cleaning (cleaning solution mixed with warm water) are the most common.
The second step of sanitation is pre-rinsing your equipment. The FSA argues that this step is one that often gets overlooked. If the pre-rinse is done inadequately, it can impact the entire sanitation process. However, if a good pre rinse is performed, 80 to 90% of soils will be removed and cleaned during the pre rinse alone.
The third step is detergent washing your equipment. This is a step that suspends and emulsifies the remaining soils left on any surface. Depending on what type of cleaning procedure you are performing, detergent washing can differ significantly between food plants. For example, if you are washing gaskets or soft metal materials, it is important to use compatible products (such as nonabrasive cleaners) for this step. If you are foam cleaning, be sure the surface has been thoroughly rinsed. The foam cleaner should be applied at the correct concentrations from the bottom to the top of the equipment.
The fourth and final step of the sanitation process is post-rinsing and sanitizing your equipment. This step is where the dislodged soils and residual chemicals left on equipment are properly removed. According to the FSA, a post rinse can be done with cold water, but warm water is preferred as it works better for sanitizing purposes. After rinsing, be sure to use a sanitizer to kill off any remaining soils.
Every facility is slightly different, and that’s why it is important to find a sanitation method that works best with your facility’s needs. Here at Tri-Mach Group, we take sanitation very seriously. Over the past 33 years, Tri-Mach Group’s dedication to sanitary conveyor design has provided ready-to-eat (RTE) food processors and their sanitation crews the tools they need to operate efficiently, properly clean and stay on schedule. When it comes to sanitary precautions, Tri-Mach Group’s Ever-Kleen® Conveyor Systems are designed for easy cleaning and sanitation. Our sanitary conveyor design allows any sanitation crew to complete the proper cleaning and sanitation processes in less amount of time. For more information on food plant sanitation, email: info@tri-mach.com
Fall 2017 BLOCKtalk
Partner Showcase
ACIC Pharmaceuticals
For over four decades, ACIC Pharmaceuticals has been a trusted partner in the pharmaceutical industry. Several years ago, a new division was added to the company. ACIC Pharmaceutical Machinery was created to deliver complete machinery and automation solutions for pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing. Since 1973, ACIC Pharmaceuticals has become an industry leader in the supply of products and services to the North American pharmaceutical market. This company is well known as a pharmaceutical and fine chemical company that has made its mark by building long-term relationships with their customers. Evolving over the years from being an agent and a distributor, ACIC Pharmaceuticals has become an on-going steady partner for API development and manufacturing projects.
Tri-Mach Group is proud to work with ACIC as they continue to grow and expand their business initiatives. Most recently, TriMach Group has partnered with ACIC on an IV bag line expansion based in Daytona, Florida. The size and complexity of this project is truly remarkable as it involves TriMach Group integrating equipment for the IV bags to be processed from the machine filling and sealing all the way through to packaging.
With a proven commitment to their partners in the pharmaceutical industries, ACIC is well prepared to serve a new generation of consumers. Tri-Mach Group is proud to work with such a progressive pharmaceutical company such as ACIC, and we wish them continued success in their bright future.
acicmachinery.com
A Message From Our President
With a busy first quarter wrapping up, Tri-Mach Group is excited to see two of the largest projects of our history come to a close. Back in January 2017, Tri-Mach Group partnered with ACIC to develop an end-to-end IV bag production line. This project has been one of the most complex and innovative new designs that we have worked on as a company.
The pork processing line that we have been working on for HyLife in Neepawa Manitoba has been the largest project in volume alone with conveyors stretching an impressive 1.1 km in length. While this project was in our shop, it took up so much space that our employees were assembling conveyors in every corner that they could find.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our employees who have worked tirelessly and have put in many overtime hours to get these projects completed on time. And to those who traveled out of province and have been away from their loved ones for an extended period of time, thank you for your dedication.
Thank you to all of our partners who have been so heavily involved with these projects over the past year, as well as our customers who have trusted in us to get the job done right We have another busy quarter ahead and are eager to begin these new projects that will continue to elevate our design engineering and build capabilities.
Thank you for reading this edition of IMPACT.
Ryan Martin
President
Tri-Mach Inc.