Bühler food processing technology drives food security and innovation in Southern Africa
By Diane Silcock
WITH food security, food waste and the need for more resilient local food production high on Southern Africa’s agenda, food processing technology is playing an increasingly important role in strengthening regional food systems.
Bühler, a Swiss privately-owned company and a global leader in food and feed processing technology and solutions, combines innovation, local expertise, skills development and aftersales support to help customers improve efficiency, food safety and productivity across the food value chain.
Globally, two billion people consume foods every day that are made using Bühler processes, including flour, rice, pasta, chocolate, biscuits, wafers, feed, coffee and beer. With more than 50 years in South Africa, the company has built longstanding relationships with customers across the region, supporting them throughout the lifecycle of their plants, from initial concept and project execution to modernisation, training and ongoing technical support.
“Bühler invests around five to six percent of its yearly revenue in research and development, which puts us at the forefront of our industry,” says Marco Sutter, Managing Director, Bühler Southern Africa. “Our business is not only about the machines; it’s about the process, food safety and security, digital products and the overall performance of manufacturing plants.”
Building a resilient food chain
Building resilience in food systems from farm to fork starts with the raw material, Sutter says. “Our solutions can reduce post-harvest losses by around 30%. Our technology dries, cleans, and colour sorts, helping to remove contaminated raw material early in the process.”
The aim is to maximise the value extracted from raw materials. “In wheat and maize milling, for instance, we aim to get the most out of the kernel to achieve the best quality in the safest way,” says Sutter. “Our digital products are key here, preventing cross-contamination and reducing product losses in the most energy efficient way.”
Sutter believes that more local production of crops will help build a more resilient food chain across Southern Africa.
Data and AI are changing food processing
Automation and data are also changing how food processing plants are operated.
“What’s changed is the degree of automation,” says Sutter. “The key is data-driven interconnected and resource-driven sites.”
Large milling groups increasingly compare energy use, yields, resource utilisation and overall equipment efficiency (OEE) across sites to benchmark performance globally. AI is also emerging as a decision-support tool. “It cannot replace a miller, but it can make more calculated decisions based on data.”
Developing the skills needed for the future
Bühler works with the public and private sectors, local universities, training institutes, and industry associations to identify industry challenges and strengthen the broader food processing ecosystem.
With a shortage of skilled workers both locally and globally, skills development is a priority. “Bühler is a role model when it comes to apprenticeship programmes,“ says Sutter. He notes that around 70% of Swiss school leavers enter a trade and believes South Africa could benefit from a stronger apprenticeship culture.
Making sustainability practical
Sutter believes sustainability gains greater traction when translated into practical outcomes, such as higher yields, less waste and better quality, together with lower water and power consumption. He adds that investing in operator skills is equally important, as advanced technology can only deliver results when it is properly operated and maintained.
For Bühler, the combination of technology, skills and local knowledge is central to building more resilient food systems across Southern Africa. Its local presence enables the company to understand regional challenges while drawing on its Swiss R&D teams to develop solutions suited to the local environment.
Bühler will be exhibiting at the 36th IAOM Mideast and Africa Conference & Expo from 23 to 26 November in Cape Town. The event is the premier annual gathering for the milling, grain and animal feed processing industry.
