Application report Blendhub and Siemens support food production close to harvest

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Powdered foods are the basis for many everyday food items. However, the powder is often processed in production centers far from the harvest areas of the raw materials. Blendhub aims to change this and is relying on Siemens software to do so.

Until now, food production has often been centralized. It is apparent that this is neither ecologically nor socially always sensible. For this reason, the company Blendhub has set out to change access to food with mobile production centers. These compact, plug-and-play food and beverage factories are delivered in standard containers, like those seen on container ships. Thus, they can be flexibly deployed at strategic locations or in underserved areas.

Siemens solutions such as Totally Integrated Automation (TIA), Opcenter RD&L, and Teamcenter X are at work, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and security in a unique global replication model.

Protein drinks, candies, muffins, soups, and breads might seem quite different at first glance, but they share a fundamental characteristic: they are all powdered foods. Of course, they were not initially in powdered form. The wheat had to be ground, the sugar refined, and the soup ingredients dried and mixed. Typically, powdered foods are processed in large production centers, which are often located far from the regions of the world where the relevant raw materials were harvested.

To change this, Blendhub is constructing mobile powder mixing factories housed in 40-foot-long ISO containers, which can be deployed quickly, economically, and sustainably anywhere in the world. According to the vision of the Spain-based company, this should enable the safe production of powders from locally available foods for local markets. This approach is intended to allow local communities to derive greater value from their crops. Additionally, this method of food production is aimed at contributing to the circular economy and promoting long-term economic stability. "Large food conglomerates advertise happiness, they advertise self-esteem, they advertise many things that certainly don't save lives, as 800 million people still go to bed hungry. One of the main problems in the world, namely malnutrition, is certainly not addressed by this," summarizes Henrik Stamm Kristensen, the founder of Blendhub, on the current situation in food production.

Blendhub offers a Food-as-a-Service model that includes everything from setting up hubs to hiring staff to all operational and maintenance activities, with Siemens technology at the core.

Ingredients and Recipes

The rapid market introduction of nutritious, affordable powdered foods is a complex task. It requires a balanced approach to costs, durability, and consumer preferences—all of which demand careful planning and collaboration. Blendhub aims to support its customers in these tasks through its Recipe-as-a-Service model, which is based on a recipe management software by Siemens. The focus is on affordable foods that are primarily made from locally available ingredients.

To create new recipes, Blendhub uses the software products from Opcenter Research, Development and Laboratory (RD&L). The company's developers can also create a digital twin of their formulations to test numerous changes before moving into actual production.

In the next step, Opcenter RD&L will be extended with the cloud-based Teamcenter Specification Management, which enables research and development staff to more easily manage product definitions and recipes, the so-called Bills of Process, and share them with manufacturing, suppliers, and partners.

"If a company wants to turn a conventional recipe into a vegan one, for instance, it can do so much faster with data-driven technologies. However, the new recipe, which may vary regionally, and the ingredient list on the packaging are not automatically synchronized yet. But this will be possible once we integrate the recipe and manufacturing process information into the industrial metaverse, as Blendhub does," explains Mario Vollbracht, Vice President of Consumer Products and Retail at Siemens Digital Industries Software.

Reliable traceability and transparency

Many consumers want to know the origins of their food, a challenging task given the typically complex and opaque value creation and supply chains. Siemens' Trusted Traceability is designed to meet this need by digitally identifying the history, distribution, location, and usage of a product, enabling traceability. This should make it easier for manufacturing companies to access data and provide relevant product information that demonstrates compliance with regulations.

Blendhub is aware that this is no easy task. However, Henrik Stamm Kristensen, with a nod to his whimsically titled role as Chief Moonshot Officer, is confident that the collaboration with Siemens will at least be able to tackle the technical challenges associated with this endeavor.

If we want to create a sustainable food system, we need to localize production and globalize data.

Henrik Stamm Kristensen, Founder of Blendhub and Chief Moonshot Officer

From the digital twin to a global network of nodes

Before constructing a hub, a digital twin is created to define and optimize the planned system, reducing the need for physical prototypes. After construction, the hubs themselves are operated by Siemens automation systems.

Total Integrated Automation (TIA) and Simatic HMI panels enable the operating staff to easily monitor and control production in real time. They provide a clear view of what is happening in a hub. This also allows them to easily supervise various tasks, such as whether ingredients are correctly loaded, mixed, and packaged.

Another advantage of Siemens automation systems is that they enable remote monitoring and control of the hubs. This allows managers to supervise operations from a distance and optimize them as needed. Since its inception in 2010, Blendhub has been able to expand its concept thanks to its partnership with Siemens. Today, there are already hubs in six countries with over 2,000 recipes.