Drinktec Munich 2017

The newly developed clamp seal is guaranteeing secure and hygienic tube connections.

Chinese Wall of Regulations

The People’s Republic is a key market. To cite just one example: China is the second-thirstiest consumer of German beer exports (about 257,000 tons in 2016, according to Statista). But now there are international concerns: Will this market be inaccessible for a time in the near future? On October 19, 2017, the new regulations GB 4806.1-2016 and GB 9685-2016 go into effect. They vary fundamentally from EU and US law, and their gray areas offer ample room for speculation.

“That is a major challenge for us all,” said Michael Littig, Sales Director Europe Market Sector Process Industries. The white list for materials authorized for the food packaging area is very demanding, he said, and the Round Table confirmed his view. The already achieved level of quality cannot be maintained with components that match this list, he said. So what now?

Nicole Schneider, Vice President Global Market Sector Process Industries at Freudenberg Sealing Technologies, discussing trends and challenges at the Round Table event at drinktec in Munich.

The trend toward healthier drinks and consumers' desires for ethical production and environmentally conscious sustainability are also making adaptations necessary. “It makes a difference whether an artificial concentrate or a natural puree comes into contact with our seals,” Schneider said.

Innovations Made by Freudenberg

Freudenberg Sealing Technologies (FST), the leading market and technology specialist in the sealing field, is already facing these future challenges. At drinktec, FST presented technical innovations tailored to the food and beverage field, including a new kind of clamp seal with a defined stop. This new, original product now closes flush with the tube and eliminates hard-to-clean dead spaces – a critical factor particularly in the food and process industries.

Furthermore, the Simmerring® – a successful Freudenberg product for 85 years – is now available in food-grade materials. And visitors to the FST stand examined yet another innovation: the monitored seal, which observes itself and communicates its level of wear precisely.

Surrounded by these innovations, the lively discussion moved from the Round Table to the FST stand without further ado and transitioned into a relaxed party – after all, it’s okay for the search for solutions to be fun.