Read the latest issue of FoodPacific Manufacturing Journal

(Updated) 

As we enter 2022, the promise of a better year ahead is still reassuring in the midst of the pandemic. In Southeast Asia, many countries are cautiously opening up for business to get the economy going. But much remains to be seen as fear of COVID grips the world.

As reported by Vietnam Briefing, the Vietnam Ministry of Health confirmed 2,045,290 cases of COVID-19, with 1,747,462 recovered as of January 18.  In Thailand, there are 2,337,811 confirmed cases, with 2,233,903 recovered. 

As of January 17, the Philippines recorded 3.27 million cases, with 2,898,507 recovered, according to the Department of Health.  Indonesia has 4,272,421 cases with 4,119,472 recovered.

Many say that we should begin to learn to live with the virus. But that's what we have been doing since it began invading our space. Adopting to this difficult situation will take a long time. (Sarcasm aside.)

Taking their cue from changes as a result of the pandemic, companies serving the food and beverage market have a lot to take on as they forge ahead; many have carried on well in the face of unexpected issues with supply chain, manpower, and other production woes, while still bearing in mind how to please their consumers with products delivered on time, products that are safe, and services that meet the standards.

With health and nutrition of tremendous importance to consumers, this issue of FoodPacific Manufacuring Journal features several new ingredients created to enhance product characteristics as well as to raise quality in terms of nutrition. Some of these are Chr. Hansen's Vega™ Culture Kit, Olam Food Ingredients’ sugar reduction solutions, and Euromed’s pomegranate extracts. These are but some of the latest products and solutions that's out there. 

The magazine's section on automation includes a report on the growing applications of collaborative robots in agriculture, particularly in urban farming where cobots are working as pollinators and harvest partners, according to Universal Robots.  It may not be surprising to many how robotic arms can be gentle enough to handle delicate strawberries.

We've also included an interesting case study from China-based Golden Pak on how the company boosted its production through upgrades in its packaging machinery and processes, with the help of Mitsubishi Electric and Qingdao Keling.  

Read all about these and more