A late-July interview between Nestle CEO Paul Bulcke and the International Standards Organization’s (ISO) publication ISO Focus+ addressed one of the most critical aspects of international standardization: how global stability in production, packaging, and shipping methods help secure local flavors in the market.
Consumers in southern Europe, for example, may prefer chocolate with a slightly different taste than consumers in northernEurope. What American consumers prefer will differ from Brazilian consumers. All around the world, whether it’s chocolate or coffee—two products for which Nestle has become a major global brand—or some other commodity, tastes change. The preference for local ingredients and flavors predominates. How can a global organization like Nestle meet so many different needs?
The answer is global standardization.
“International Standards provide a framework for the world,” Bulcke says in the interview. “Tastes may differ, but health requirements and minimum standards are the same the world over.”
Standardization, for a global manufacturer, allows the company to apply a stable approach country by country so that factories and distribution centers can be located more at the local level, and ingredients for products can be acquired more locally and incorporated into the safe, accepted global approach to food production. Global stability, local flavor.
ISO’s 1000+ food-related standards—as well as its general health and safety, environmental performance, and other manufacturing-related measures—are essential to food safety, Bulcke says. “Issues of food safety are not purely intramural. They lead us upstream to our suppliers and downstream to retailers. Having a common standard that is globally accepted like ISO’s helps us to neutralize situations where companies all have their own proprietary standards.”
COMPRESSED AIR, ONE CUP AT A TIME
Compressed air plays a vital role in the food safety Mr. Bulcke refers to. High-quality compressed air provides energy for pneumatic conveyor and handling systems. These systems moves liquids and powders during the production process. These systems are also utilized in the packaging process.
From the handling of raw ingredients through the purchase of the finished product by the consumer, compressed air plays an important part of ensuring food safety.
Manufacturers use compressed air testing and standards such as ISO 8573 (Compressed air — Part 1: Contaminants and purity classes) to vet and verify the quality of food production, processing, and packaging against oil, water, and particulate contamination.
Compressed air testing helps plant engineers evaluate energy efficiency performance, control dew points, prevent microbial growth on products, guard against desiccation and odor transference, and much more.
TRI Air Testing is proud to be an independent, third-party compressed air testing resource for the global food and beverage industry. Our compressed air testing kits take samples at the source and are used at manufacturing sites of small, boutique-scale food producers and by major global corporations. And our experts provide guidance to help manufacturers meet standards, improve their air quality and efficiency, and ensure that the standards and guidelines they are using are correct and relevant to the needs of their individual site operation.
In short, compressed air testing is one way in which local flavors are protected.
We encourage you to savor that thought over your next cup of coffee and a square of chocolate.
