Food & Beverage Reporter

Food & Beverage Reporter (FBR) is one of South Africa’s leading B2B magazines, with a track record of more than 25 years in the industry. With thought leadership and in-depth coverage of technical topics, news, and local and international developments across the foodbev and allied industries, the magazine caters for South Africa and neighbouring countries. FBR also carries a specialist Packaging& Processing Reporter section in each issue, exploring technology, ideas, and trends in these key segments of the food chain. In response to changing readership trends we offer a fully digitized publication, with both Apple and Android apps In March each year, FBR’s annual Supplier Directory is distributed both in print and online versions providing you with a handy guide to local suppliers and service providers on the continent.

From the editor

Food & Beverage Reporter

All about Africa Spice • We recently chatted with Zev Krengel, CEO of Africa Spice about their new product launch, their collaboration with the popular Jacques Kallis, and learned a little more about their vibrant business.

Industry Updates

FOOD PATHOGENS Part 1: What does the food data tell us • When food safety fails, we end up with contaminated product that cannot be sold to customers, or which needs recalling from the market. It goes without saying that avoiding this is not only an ethical consideration, but also a financial one. We recently looked at product recalls relating to metal contamination, but in the article, we will unpack some of the main pathogenic causes of foodborne illness outbreaks and recalls.

RAISING AGENTS Used in the baking industry • When we think of baked products, we usually think of final bakery goods such as bread, cookies, or cakes2. One of the industry’s most intriguing tasks is attaining the sought-after aerated texture of baked products1. This structural art piece is dependent on the interplay of factors such as the recipe, mixing technique, oven temperatures, and product morphology1. Aeration is an important quality aspect of baked products; therefore, it can be helpful to understand how it works1.

Yeast – the magic ingredient • While it is not exactly clear when yeast was first used to bake bread, early records indicate that it came from Ancient Egypt. It is believed that flour mixed with water, and left on a warm day, fermented with the natural contaminants (wild yeast) in the flour giving rise to a lighter and tastier bread.

Convenience and nutritional value drive popularity of healthy snacks • The pace of modern life and the effects of the pandemic have undoubtedly increased consumers’ reliance on snacks and altered what consumers view as healthy snacking. Any snack aisle in most supermarkets now boasts a vast array of ‘healthy’ high-protein bars and other snacking options.

Refrigerated Transport Hire Choosing a partner to preserve your cold chain • Effectively maintaining a cold chain across the food supply chain is essential for preserving a product’s integrity, quality, freshness, and safety. Unlike non-perishable product transportation, an interruption in the cold chain could render perishables unusable owing to safety and quality concerns, thereby resulting in destruction of product, and the associated economic impact.

Method and value support the increasing rise in popularity of pouches and sachets • The rapid growth of pouch and sachet packaging globally is indicative of just how popular it has become. It is not just a trend though, as there is real method and value behind its ever-increasing rise in popularity.

Manufacturers of pouches and sachets in South Africa • There are several pouch and sachet manufacturers in South Africa, most of which produce either laminate production or the supply of pre-made pouches; and there is a growing number of specialist producers...