03 Mar 2025 Latest in food processing, packaging and labelling on show at Propak Africa 2025!

Latest developments in food processing, packaging and labelling will be on show, at Propak Africa 2025….

The food and beverage sector is the largest and most vital part of South Africa’s manufacturing industry, contributing 25% to total production. Recent growth, largely driven by dairy, snacks, beverages, and bakery products, has increased the demand for safe, traceable food packaging solutions.

Propak Africa 2025 and co-located shows take place at the Johannesburg Expo Centre, Nasrec, from 11-14 March 2025. The event will feature over 500 exhibitors and display thousands of new products, technologies and services in the packaging, printing, plastics, food processing and labelling industries.

Here are some new tech highlights of the show:

• Ishida will present its award-winning QX-500 tray sealer, which delivers a 66% increase in cycle speed, a 44% reduction in weight, a 46% reduction in size and a 50% reduction in energy consumption.
• Visitors looking for a smart and consolidated monitoring system for their entire food production line will be able to see the new Sentinel 5.0 remote production monitoring system powered by AI allowing manufacturers to track and analyse real-time data across the entire production line.
• Microsep’s’ new Mettler Toledo automated product inspection and smart weighing technologies that increase production speed and accuracy, lower costs, and meet regulatory standards.
• Two high-precision metal detectors from Minebea Intec, on display at its SA partner Precision Control’s stand, the Mitus and the Vistus both offering world class technologies for industrial weighing and food inspection for the detection and rejection of metal contaminated products.
• The TNA Robag FX 3e, a super-fast VFFS packaging system delivering speeds of up to 250 bags per minute, and the TNA Intelli-flav OMS 5, an on-machine seasoning system, featuring powder flavouring, slurry and liquid oil in a single drum.
• Automated high speed production lines are key to keeping up with the growth in the beverage industry. The latest bottle unscrambler machinery from Filmatic Packaging Systems ensures smooth bottle orientation and feeding.
• Filmatic will also showcase a Triple Lane Tub Filler perfect for dairy, desserts and other tub-packaged products, offering efficiency and reliability. Food and beverage products that require shelf-stable packaging such as beverage and dairy products can benefit from the company’s Retort System providing thermal processing solutions ensuring extended product lifespan.
• The latest development in coding technology for cans, glass, labels and PET for the beverage industry will be exhibited by Millchem alongside its partner agency Filtec. Also on display will be the new modular High Frequency Fill Level System which efficiently measures fill levels on glass and PET lines.
• Somex’s Laboratory Inspection Systems will also be on display for major beverage producers and represent the forefront of laboratory quality control technology.

Industry specialists sharing insights

Visitors to Propak Africa 2025 will also be able to hear from industry specialists sharing their insights and expertise at a series of complementary seminars.

Hygienic design: When it comes to food safety, Peet Grobler, director at OFT Group/Sentratek, and also chair of the Regional Section South Africa for the European Hygienic Engineering and Design Group, will discuss ‘A practical approach to hygienic design and food safety.’

The seminar with highlight how the hygienic design of food-processing equipment has a major effect on global food safety across many sectors from farm to fork. Poor hygienic design has led to many major food safety issues caused by cross-contamination of food products because of biological, chemical and physical hazards.

Optimising heating: Seminar attendees will also be able to hear Stuart Rigby, Product & Process Technology manager at DC Norris & Company, talk about ‘Optimising Energy and Labour Efficiency in Ready Meal, Sauce, and Beverage Production.’

The company’s revolutionary heating and mixing system JetCook provides up to 52% energy savings, fresher flavours, better quality control information and a more consistent product for the ready sauce and beverage market.