Food and packaging technology event year's highlight

New Zealand's only dedicated food technology and packaging trade event has got off to a flying start with almost three quarters of the larger floor space booked five months out. Foodtech Packtech 2008 runs October 21-23 at Auckland's ASB Showgrounds. Sixteen of the 118 visitors confirmed to date are from overseas.

The response has been fantastic and it's looking like it’s going to be a great show,” says Irene Smith for show organisers dmg work media. “We have slightly more area than in 2006, and it's all under one roof in the revamped ASB Showgrounds complex. We're really excited about this event, particularly as it's endorsed by the New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology.

“Exhibitors, too, recognise this value to the industry and go all out to provide visitors with a great business experience. Many have brand new systems and technology on show, with a lot of it operating to make a proper hands-on evaluation possible. Visitors will also have on-site access to the top people from each of the companies, including many of the key people from their overseas manufacturers and partners.

Among the exhibitors looking forward to the three packed days is Tania Carey from Food Processing Equipment (FPE).

“We'll have the latest X-Ray technology from Smiths Detection. We've represented Smiths since February 2007. We came into contact with them through our own efforts to develop a machine for reading the chemical lean (CL) in boxed meat. Smiths Detections overall capabilities certainly don't just start and stop with CL analysis. For instance, the Smiths Detection Eagle Carton FA can simultaneously analyse CL, weight and Foreign Objects in-line, which offers a meat processor a whole spectrum of benefits.”
 
Tania says the Smiths Detection Technology can be used throughout the food industry in so many applications where contaminant detection is necessary.
 
“We saw the diversity of the Smiths Detection range as advantageous to our business as more and more we are stepping outside of what traditionally was our core business (the meat processing industry).”
 
Another exhibitor with well-advanced plans for Foodtech Packtech is Newsmith Pacific Systems, says sales manager Graeme Topp.
 
“We're a subsidiary of Newsmith Stainless in the UK who manufacture industrial washing machines and conveyor systems with sales throughout Europe and the USA and Australasia. Over a year ago they decided to set up a manufacturing operation based in Christchurch to supply equipment into New Zealand and Australia, and we are also manufacturing equipment to go back in to the UK. Besides conveyor, rack and tray washers for bins, trays and utensils we also manufacture conveyor systems, plastic crate stackers, loaders and unloaders, pie machines for both standard meat pies and also for pie shells in foils, meat cookers, depositors, special purpose processing equipment and pastry glazing equipment.
 
“Visitors to our stand will also get the good oil on the Oddy range. Among the equipment are bread roll lines that include divider/rounders, make-up tables and provers, and bread plait and knot machines which produce authentic looking product without the need for skilled labour. Another range visitors can check out is from Oliver Douglas. They manufacture a smaller range of industrial washers including front loading and a conveyor/tunnel washer that allows for one person operation and a length of only three metres.

“We'll also have information and displays of a whole lot more, including Tagliavini ovens from Italy with a range of deck and rack ovens which are very economical and have very low energy consumption; Burgess food equipment from the UK and their range of heavy duty pastry equipment and fruit block breaking and washing equipment for raisins and sultanas; Alba and Teknoservice S.r.L pastry equipment from Italy including pastry make up tables, and laminating lines and croissant machines in a range of capacities. “We also supply re-manufactured equipment including complete donut lines.”

Graeme says that visitors can check out new products including the Oddy plait and knot machine which solves a large problem economically, and the range of Alba pastry equipment – while it has been made in Europe and also exported to the USA for many years, it is new to this market and represents very good value.