Leading bark suppliers, TMA Bark, recently approached Stronga during a period of severe constraint to the UK’s supply of bark. Despite these constraints, there was still a strong demand for bark product’s use in the professional horticultural, nursery and landscaping industries.

TMA Bark’s decision to source suitable-quality raw pine bark from abroad, however, resulted in issues relating to import controls and compliance with phytosanitary regulations. In contacting Stronga, TMA’s mission was to meet and exceed current international environmental practises safely. After in-depth analysis, the management team at TMA decided that using FlowSteama to steam sterilise bark at source was the most effective solution.

Reliably evidenced bark sterilisation using the FlowSteama allow TMA to become a bio-secure importer of clean, steam sterilised bark material, facilitating an increased supply to diverse markets.

Each year, sawmills around the world generate masses of bark via de-barking processes. A once severely undervalued resource, global trade of bark has exploded in recent years, leading to increased risks of spreading diseases and pathogens across borders.

In order to manage these risks, steam sterilisation using FlowSteama equipment has become essential for importers/exporters to safely and cost-effectively utilise high-demand bark residues. Avoiding the costs of non-compliance imports, phytosanitary rules were a major consideration for TMA Bark. Through collaboration with Stronga, TMA Bark are now able to steam sterilise bark at source, transforming an abundant by-product into a highly valuable resource.

For many years, TMA Bark have recognised bark as a highly versatile resource for utilisation across a multitude of useful applications, including:
1. As a mulch blend – introducing valuable balanced nutrients into soil while suppressing weeds;
2. As a play-area product – for situations where a high-quality appearance, as well as safety, is important;
3. As a growing media – for use by professional growers as a top dressing or for mix within a peat-substitute product;
4. As a natural supplement – the pine bark extract industry is currently valued at circa $132 million.

Pine bark helps regulate soil temperatures while improving micro-biomes and the appearance of landscapes, all year-round. To discover the other substantial benefits of bark, please view our ‘Value of Bark Residues’ article under the ‘Know How’ heading on this website.

Bark is often discarded because of its potential to carry disease and pathogens harmful to the arboriculture industry. Because most viruses are present in the bark fraction, there are increasingly strict rules in place for the export and import of all wood/plant-based products. In the UK, specifically, there are phytosanitary requirements in place for both EU and non-EU countries, which prevent import if heat treatment hasn’t been evidenced.

Before import is granted into the UK, bark from ‘conifer/pinales’ trees from all non-EU countries is required by law to be suitably sterilised to a specific temperature, ensuring bark residues are pathogen, fungus, virus and disease free. These phytosanitary requirements limit further outbreaks of diseases such as pinewood nematode, while also reducing the risk of spreading South African native pathogens into the UK. Steam sterilising bark helps to prevent the detrimental economic losses associated with wasting bark residues, fulfilling demand in a bio-secure way whilst protecting the future of the bark industry.

Phytosanitary compliance is the responsibility of the importer. Any breaches of landing requirements can result in truckloads of bark product being turned away at ports with the associated storage, administration costs and hefty fines imposed.

During the consultation phase with Stronga, TMA Bark recounted their difficult experiences importing bark which had inadequate phytosanitary evidence. After speaking with Stronga’s heat-treatment specialists, they were assured this issue would not be repeated with FlowSteama’s super-heated steam sterilisation process which offers clear evidencing of phytosanitation requirements.

Using the FlowSteama allows businesses to eliminate uncertainty around non-compliance with phytosanitary requirements, steam sterilising bark residues at 85’C for 30-minute treatment cycles (see graphic below). Our extensive experimentation and research has confirmed this time and temperature combination kills all harmful bacteria, nematodes and disease, allowing bark products to be safely sold and utilised.

FlowSteama’s super-heated, low-pressure steam has proven highly-effective in the field of steam sterilisation, removing pathogens (including pine wood nematode and bark beetle) and allowing bark products to circulate freely across borders.

FlowSteama is a proven steam sterilisation solution, combining super-heated steam with full penetration, without affecting the physical characteristics of the bark product. Super-heated steam used in the FlowSteama has a unique heat transfer ability which allows for rapid processing with minimal labour requirements. FlowSteama’s ‘PulseWave™’ system is designed to maximise the steam and material contacting surface, facing the super-heated steam front and rapidly raising the temperature of the bark to the target temperature.

Investing in FlowSteama equipment has enabled TMA Bark to become bio-secure, improving the value of their premium bark fractions and increasing sales while complying with forestry commission regulations and hygiene standards. The photo below was taken at TMA’s site in South Africa where bark is sterilised at source, by the local operating team, before being shipped to the UK.

TMA Bark identified the considerable value in importing high quality whole bark to the UK, sourcing bark from de-barked residue in South Africa. However, they needed a competitive steam sterilising machine that would enable them to thermally-remediate large volumes of bark for export to the UK. Having operated their FlowSteama for several months now, the customer identified the below as their most favoured FlowSteama features:

- Close support offered by Stronga, continued after sale and installation.
- Excellent reliability with remote access for viewing the status of the machine, anywhere, anytime.
- Integrated hydraulic agitation system ensuring FlowSteama thoroughly sterilises the entire load, every time.
- ‘SteamStation™’ logging, ensuring all required sterilisation parameters are met, providing assurance to distributers and end-users.
- Temperatures sensors that monitor and probe bark temperatures during the steam sterilisation process. These sensors log results in real-time, recording each steam cycle’s time at temperature parameter.

TMA Bark is a highly professional organisation, pioneering for progress in the bark industry. Investing in FlowSteama equipment has significantly enhanced and authenticated their bark process while substantially improving their overall profit margins. What could Stronga do for your business?

Contact our friendly team today to discuss your steam sterilisation project. Find out how we can support and add value to your business - info@stronga.co.uk