Baking & Snack - June 2023 - 93

tems quickly pay for themselves through the
labor reductions they provide.
" In most cases our customers are cash flow positive
within the first month of a finance purchase solely
based on labor savings, " he said. " Add in efficiency, material
savings and higher output, and the investment
easily justifies itself many times over and will help grow
your business faster. "
To maximize this growth, bakers need equipment
they can use for the long haul. Mr. Becker said bakers
should determine the maximum throughput of the
packaging system they're purchasing, as well as its ability
to handle different packing formats.
" The market is constantly changing and evolving, and
flexibility in the packaging system's ability to adapt to
those changes is important, " he said. " Flexibility is going
to come with a cost, but that cost today may outweigh
the cost of replacing the system a few years down the
road if it is not flexible enough. "
Other flexible equipment attributes producers should
prioritize include ease of sanitation and access to critical
components when maintenance issues arise.
" If your pick-and-place robot isn't washdown, you're
going to have a really tough time as far as contamination, "
he warned. " You want the machine to be easy access;
you also have to have the machine be user-friendly. "
Give packages new life
While automation can free foodservice bakers of their
capacity and workforce concerns, they may still find
their operation constrained by the quality of the packages
they're using. Package quality can significantly impact
the shelf life of foodservice products, as well as bakers'
geographic reach with potential customers.
With a depleted workforce resulting in fewer trucks
on the road, Mr. Williams noted more attention has
turned to modified atmosphere packaging (MAP). By
filling packages with a mix of gases that inhibit moisture
and mold growth, bakers can extend their shelf life and
distribution area, all while requiring fewer deliveries.
" With modified atmosphere, instead of a bakery in
Atlanta shipping to Florida, Tennessee and Alabama,
they can go as far north as Canada, and as far south as
Mexico, " he said. " And they can go practically to the
West Coast if they get their shelf life under control. "
Tamper-evident seals are growing in popularity as
well, Mr. Williams said, driven in part by heightened
quality and contamination concerns from bakers and
foodservice operators.
" Our customers used to just put the loaves in a thin
polyethylene bag and just fold it over and ship it in a box
every day, " he explained. " Now they're actually wanting
to see that the box or bag has been sealed at the factory,
WHILE AUTOMATION CAN FREE
FOODSERVICE BAKERS OF THEIR
CAPACITY AND WORKFORCE
CONCERNS, THEY MAY STILL FIND
THEIR OPERATION CONSTRAINED
BY THE QUALITY OF THE
PACKAGES THEY'RE USING.
Other considerations must be made to ensure products
hold up once they're delivered to foodservice establishments
and the package is opened.
" You need packaging material that can hold up in the
freezer, as well as packaging that can be opened properly
and resealed if necessary to keep the remaining products
safe and of high quality, " Mr. Becker said. " The key to
packaging design is to understand the life of the product
from manufacturing to end user consumption. The consumer
needs to have the experience of fresh; they don't
need to know the supply chain of that product. "
Packaging can pose problems for foodservice bakers
grappling with workforce challenges and those looking
to improve the quality and throughput of their baked
goods, but the latest technology can alleviate these concerns
and help bakers flourish along with the category.
to prevent any issues with contamination. "
Bakers must nail down their specific shelf life needs
before adopting new packaging, as the optimal solution
will vary. A small bakery sending its products to a few
stores, for example, may only require a polyethylene bag
providing three days shelf life, Mr. Williams said. On
the other hand, opting for a poly-nylon MAP bag may
extend shelf life to 12 days, while a high barrier bag of
poly-nylon and EVOH can extend it to 21 days.
Modified atmosphere
packaging extends
shelf life and may
result in fewer
product deliveries.
Harpak-Ulma
*
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