Bulk Distributor Mar/Apr 18 | Page 3

March/April 2018 B ULK D ISTRIBUTOR Sector Focus: Food Grade 3 ŐŽŽĚĐƵƉŽĨĐŚĂ N on-alcoholic fermented drinks and food have grown in popularity over the past few years due to their supposed health benefi ts. Unlike wine or beer where yeast is used to produce alcohol, non-alcoholic fermented drinks are made by using live micro-organism bacteria to convert carbs or sugars into lactic acid. In the case of Kombucha, green or black tea is fermented with sugar and a ‘symbiotic culture or bacteria and yeasts’ (SCOBY). The result is a tea rich with benefi cial live ‘good’ bacteria that is thought to have a positive impact on gut health, digestion and the body’s ability to absorb nutrients from the food we eat. With a history that reaches back some two thousand years in China and Russia (the jury is out on its exact origins), Kombucha has proved something of a challenge to produce, brew and store in a way that makes it marketable for today’s food and beverage industry. It was traditionally brewed in kegs, with a number of different metal material containers used; however, as the yeast and other bacteria in the drink continue to ferment and react while stored, the resulting drink was found to have a metallic taste that was not appealing. Additionally, the metallic particles leach chemicals and corrode the keg, with impurities such as aluminium or lead commonly found in the brew. Other popular materials for the keg, in order to remove this reaction, were glass, ceramic and porcelain containers. However, these materials are not a practical solution for the movement of containers through the supply chain due to their fragility. Furthermore, some glass containers were found to contaminate the Kombucha. As a result, stainless steel containers have become the preferred method to prepare this brew, as the drink does not react with stainless steel as it does with other metals, and stainless steel is strong and durable, clean and sanitary, and can be used for many brews, reducing production costs. More importantly, it resists corrosion, so will not add any impurities to the beverage, meaning that the fl avour and quality of the Kombucha will remain intact when fermented in a stainless steel container. Some producers are also beginning to serve Kombucha of different fl avours, using ingredients such as kale, apple, ginger and orange, using a tap system, similar to the way beer is served. A Thielmann container and tap system all made out of stainless steel is claimed to be the best option to distribute high-quality Kombucha, as the beverage is not affected by the vessel. Thielmann offers the most complete range of premium quality stainless steel beverage kegs, available with any customisation Thielmann’s container and tap system is claimed to be the best option to distribute high-quality Kombucha as the beverage is not aff ected by the vessel required. The kegs are 100 percent suitable for fermented drinks such as Kombucha, and the company is working with a number of customers in this market sector. Constructed of strong and durable stainless steel, the sterling-quality kegs readily serve as ideal storage containers for safeguarding the quality of fermented beverages. They are easy to clean, maintain and are built to last. www.thielmann.com &ƵůůĞƌƐŚĂƐ ĮŶŐĞƌŽŶƚŚĞ ƉƵůƐĞĨŽƌ <ĂƚƐŽƵƌŝƐ Organised by Follow us on U K fi rm Fullers Logistics is providing fulfi lment and warehousing services to Katsouris Brothers Ltd, an established supplier of food produce to the manufacturing, wholesale and retail market. “After being let down by our previous logistics supplier, we had an urgent need to fi nd a trusted partner that we could work with to store a wide range of pulses and grains that we import from South America and across Europe,” explained company director, Alexander Katsouris. “It became clear after launching a competitive tender process towards the end of summer 2017, that Fullers was the best fi t for our specifi c requirements. We carried out an initial trial with them and were really happy with the level of service provided and their attention to detail.” 6-8 NOVEMBER 2018 | AHOY ROTTERDAM YOUR PLATFORM IN EUROPE TO MEET THE GLOBAL CONTAINER INDUSTRY Twenty foot containers of bagged pulses arrive at Fullers where they are unloaded and stored on pallets in a multi-user, ambient warehouse facility. “We currently hold around 300 pallets of stock for Katsouris Brothers in our new facility in Bordon, Hampshire,” commented Tony Dempsey, divisional managing director at Fullers. “As we already work with a number of household names in the food production industry, we were in a unique position to offer Katsouris Brothers a fl exible warehouse solution that can be rapidly scaled up or down to meet demand, but also to provide an environment which is HACCP compliant and conforms to good manufacturing practices. www.fullers-logistics.com For more information, please call +44 (0)20 7017 5112 www.intermodal-events.com WWW.BLUEPACK.DK REGISTER YOUR INTEREST