Albert Handtmann Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG from Biberach a. d. Riß (Ger[1]many) was honoured with the International FoodTec Award 2024 in Gold yesterday evening. The award ceremony took place at Anuga FoodTec, the international supplier trade fair for the food and beverage industry, in Cologne, Germany. The leading inno[1]vation prize in international food technology is awarded by the DLG (German Agricul[1]tural Society) and its professional partners. DLG Vice President Prof Katharina Riehn presented the certificate and medal with the words: “Your pioneering innovation im[1]pressively demonstrates that a spirit of progress and inventiveness paired with the highest engineering skills are always capable of overcoming technological hurdles and tapping into new potential in terms of sustainability and efficiency.”
The International FoodTec Award 2024 was awarded to 14 innovation projects from the inter[1]national food and supplier industry. Four innovations received the International FoodTec Award in gold, ten were awarded a silver medal.
Albert Handtmann Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG received the International FoodTec Award 2024 in Gold for the ConProSachet system: Sustainable packaging made of alginate. With increasing environmental concerns and consumer preferences for environmentally friendly products, there is a growing demand for sustainable packaging solutions. The Handt[1]mann ConProSachet system is a new process for packaging liquid or pasty products, such as gels, beverages or sauces, in sachets. The preferred packaging material for flowpack ma[1]chines has been and continues to be plastic films. There are already many approaches to re[1]duce the use of (single-use) plastics as packaging material. The trend is towards very thin, Page 2/3 recyclable films or films that are biodegradable within 24 months according to DIN standard EN 13432A. A disadvantage is the large amount of effort required for disposal after use. A significant part of the material is not recycled, but incinerated or often simply disposed of.
The ConProSachet system does not use prefabricated plastic film for the casing, but algi[1]nate. The alginate casing is produced in a co-extrusion process at the same time as the fill[1]ing of the respective product. In the process, the casing gels around the product and is sealed. The alginate sachets are edible or can be easily disposed of after use. They biode[1]grade in just a few weeks. The system is energy-efficient, intuitive to use and can be quickly converted to different sachet sizes. It offers the industry new opportunities to replace plastic films, which are increasingly unpopular with consumers but are often used as packaging ma[1]terial in flowpack machines, and thus reduce plastic waste. Alginate, which is extracted from algae, is an ecological and sustainable, biodegradable alternative raw material and is there[1]fore another approach to solve existing packaging problems. It is suitable for a wide range of applications, taking into account its limitations, such as lower stability, different barrier prop[1]erties and no possibility of resealing the packaging.
