80
SEP 2017
FOOD FOCUSTHAILAND
SMART
PRODUCTION
HighPerformanceFrying
Looking to invest in a brand new line for
batch-fried chips, Preziosi Food needed a
high performance frying system that
efficientlycooks thickerpotatoslicesand
delivers the ideal colour, textureand
flavour for the perfect chip. The
companyfinally found theanswer; a
new direct-fired batch fryer
2
. Ideal
for cooking a range of root
vegetables, including potatoes, the
system’s innovative continuous oil filtration system helps remove
both fine and large particles to ensure Preziosi Food’s chips are
cooked in the freshest oil possible.Oilmanagement isessential to
high performance frying and chip quality. When cooked, potato
slices takeon23per cent of theoil,meaning77per cent remains
after the batch is complete. The remaining oil is subsequently
filtered out and blended with fresh oil to return levels to 100 per
cent.
Alongsidecontinuousoil circulation, full temperaturecontrol is
also maintained through constant and zone control systems,
essential for optimal heat regulation in the cooking and frying
process. As such, overheating of the oil, and any subsequent
caramelisationandbrowningof theproduct, isprevented, and the
company is able to achievea consistent chip colour.
In addition, Preziosi Food also required a system that could
fry high volumes of product without raising operating costs.
Thanks to the system’s quick heat recovery capabilities, the new
direct-fired batch fryer
2
optimises production by ensuring the oil
returns tooptimum frying temperaturequicklyandefficiently.Asa
result, Preziosi Food now processes 230 kg/hour of finished
product.
ConsistentlyFlavoured
Seasoningplaysan important role inaproduct’soverall
taste, textureandappeal.Once theflavour for thenew
product linewasdecided,PreziosiFood required
a flavouring system that could coat irregular-
shaped products consistently and with ease
for optimum taste and appearance on every
chipproduced. Inaddition, applicationaccuracy
wasakeyconsideration for thesnackmanufacturer.
Applyingan incorrect level of seasoning canhavea significant impact on
both input costs in termsof rawmaterialsandwastagecosts from rejected
products that are either over or under seasoned.
In lightof these requirements, thecompany installedanewon-machine
seasoning (OMS) system
3
toapply seasoning toPreziosi Food’s rangeof
batch-fried chips. Featuring a responsive variable mass seasoning
mechanism with dynamic vibratory weigher, the OMS system
3
directly
controlsoil sprayandpowderflow into thedrum.Thisenablesanaccurate,
proportional amount of seasoning to be evenly applied to the product for
improved coverage and flavour dispersion, meeting Preziosi Food’s
objectives for a highquality, evenly seasoned end product.
Inaddition, thecompanywasalso looking foraseasoningsystemwith
theflexibility tomeet its futureflavour requirements.Withplans toexpand
its rangeandaddadditional flavours to thenew line, itwascrucial that the
systemcouldhandle the requiredseasoning typeandperform fast flavour
changeovers when required. The ability to easily clean the on-machine
seasoning (OMS)system
3
andperformproductchangeovers in theshortest
amount of time not only allows Preziosi Food to adhere to food safety
guidelines, but also to maintain profitability by keeping downtime to a
minimum.
Italian snack manufacturer Preziosi Food (Mitica) integrated new frying,
seasoning and packaging systems
1
to launch a new line of batch-fried
potatochips.Adding to itsexisting rangeofsnackproducts, these innovative
solutions
1
enabledPreziosi Food to tap into thegrowing Italianmarket for
this increasingly popular potato chip product.
Tapping into
theBatch-friedChipsMarket
with InnovativeTurnkeySolutions
