SOUTH AFRICA – World’s leading food processing and packaging solutions company, Tetra Pak, has entered into a partnership with a South African food research, application and ingredient company, Synercore Food Holdings.
The collaboration is aimed to accelerate innovation in health and safety regarding the commercialisation of shelf-stable food products in Africa.
According to Tetra Pak, the engagement is a positive move towards a more integrated approach to delivering good quality products in Africa, than either Tetra Pak or Synercore could deliver alone.
It has also been built on the back of, the journey from farm to factory to fork in the food supply chain encounters a number of health hazards.
This embraces the need to include in the product cross-disciplinary development process factors such as functional ingredients, processing and packaging solutions.
To this end the collaboration will leverage on Synercore’s expertise in product formulations, new product development and functional ingredients, to complement Tetra Pak’s specialisation in processing, packaging, automation, and technical services.
“Our new partnership with Synercore has the objective of integrating and managing the entire value chain and to deliver an end-to-end solution to the African market.
“Together, we will help customers to produce safer, quality products with more efficiency and reliability.
“Success can only be achieved through intelligent, competent, multidisciplinary and integrated partnerships,” says Stefan Fageräng, Tetra Pak managing director.
“Our new partnership with Synercore has the objective of integrating and managing the entire value chain and to deliver an end-to-end solution to the African market.”
Stefan Fageräng – Tetra Pak Managing Director
Partnership introduces cutting edge technology
Under the partnership, Synercore will procure a pilot-scale Tetra ReCart testing facility plant for dairy innovation situated at the Synercore Innovation Campus at Klapmuts in the Western Cape.
“The pilot unit affords Synercore the opportunity to test on a pilot scale various formulations, recipes, raw materials and functional ingredients with the expert assistance of teams from both companies,” said Stefan.
The Tetra ReCart format, according to Retail Brief Africa is a viable alternative to cans in the region.
The technology holds enormous potential for carton-based products that can then be batch-sterilised/retorted for shelf-stability.
It also offers massive benefits over conventional canned lines: 80% less carbon footprint when compared to tins and glass jars; great graphics and branding; and more efficient transport with optimised pallet configuration.
According to Bizcommunity, the investment also includes a Tetra Pak High Shear Mixer unit, a Tetra ReCart packaging line and retort to produce shelf-stable pilot-scale samples that exactly mimic industrialised and commercial products, in a cost-effective and efficient manner.
Analytical tests will be conducted to ensure the integrity of macro- and micro-nutrients as well as the microbial quality and safety of the products being produced.
“We face unique challenges on this continent, but then again, as we live in a global village we can learn from the experience, talents, and competence from leading organisations around the world.
“The latest investment by Synercore and Tetra Pak in a collaborative partnership, illustrates exactly that – bringing technology to Africa to complement its rich natural resources while presenting tangible and local solutions,” Dr Tertius Cilliers, CEO Synercore said.
The challenge of food safety and security in Africa is no minor one considering that 50% of the world’s population growth within the next 30 years is predicted to come from Africa.
