Kerry Ingredients install NIKO

Kerry Ingredients has installed a NIKO cooler at the Tenbury Wells facility to handle a range of high quality syrups used as “shots” in coffee bars and food outlets.

NIKO is Europe’s leading manufacturer of tunnel pasteurisers and coolers, with the focus being on maximum energy efficiency and recovery. Typical benefits to food manufacturers include a unique and patented low friction pump system, which requires 50% of the energy per hour of a conventional “off the shelf” design, whilst giving twice the equivalent flow per kW/hour.

In addition, the special design of the cooler infeed and discharge ensures even unstable containers can be handled without risk of falling. The use of long life belting material specified by the NIKO designers means maintenance is kept to a minimum.

Built entirely of high quality stainless steel, there are many NIKO installations in the UK and Ireland, some of them over 30 years old in daily operation.

Chris Joules of Kerry Ingredients said: “The team at Kerry Ingredients conducted a review of a number of cooler suppliers and came to the conclusion that the NIKO offer was a good fit for our requirements. The machine is well built, was delivered within our required (and very tight) timetable and has performed to our specifications.”

Tunnel pasteurisers and coolers are by their nature bespoke machines, being tailored to the duty. However, their modular design allows the machines to be lengthened or even converted from just cooling to adding a headspace or full pasteurisation step.

Terlotherm holds the lead in petfood cooling

Leading high quality pet food manufacturer, Naturediet, have installed a Terlotherm scraped surface heat exchanger from Terlet of Holland.

Scraped surface heat exchangers are designed to bring about rapid heating or cooling without burning or solidifying the product on the walls of the vessel.

Naturediet’s unique Aseptic pet food production ensures the highest possible end quality with ultimate palateabilty. However cooling was giving them a different challenge

Having tried sets of scraped surface heat exchangers from other manufacturers, Naturediet were fed up with the constant leaking of the seals, necessitating frequent down time for seal changes, with aseptic seals being a very expensive maintenance issue.

The unique Terlotherm ensures that inspection and scraper changes can be carried out without disturbing the single mechanical seal. A single Terlotherm has replaced a set of 3 units, with resulting savings in running costs and maintenance, plus the Terlotherm takes up the minimum of line space being floor standing.

The Terlotherm is able to heat and cool petfoods slurries, gravies and jellies, with no risk of product damage, and meat pieces of upto 25mm dice can pass with no damage. The system also generates minimum pressure on delicate ingredients.

Holmach stars at PPMA

Holmach is delighted to announce some new technology at the forthcoming PPMA show at the NEC, Birmingham from 27^th
to 29^th September 2011, on Stand D72 in Hall 5.

 

Heating  and Cooling

Terlotherm scraped surface heat exchangers are already the market leading technology in Europe and the latest generation
receives its UK launch on the stand.
Designed for both heating, cooling, crystallising or gelling the unique design means low energy consumption and maintenance, coupled with ability to handle large particulate soups, sauces and even mashed potato!

 

Cooking  Vessels

More new technology; two small vessels from Terlet and Roboqbo allow the processing of small batches, with the Roboqbo
being used for reductions, homogenising and pureeing.  The in-built pressure and vacuum system is ideal for condiments, relishes and confectionery including perfect Ganache!  See them working on the stand and sample some of the food being produced.

Thermal Processing

Revtech presents patented decontamination and toasting/roasting equipment for seeds, nuts, herbs, cereals and spices.  Vibratory transport techniques ensure no damage to delicate products and a 6 log pasteurisation is achievable without denaturing .  Recently 3 systems have been installed for air roasting peanuts and another for decontamination of pet
food ingredients.  

Pasteurising and sterilising of in-pack products comes courtesy of Lagarde who present a rotary pilot autoclave for handling everything from meals in trays to rice in pouches, sauces in glass, soups in cans and beans in pots.  Capable of rotary and static processing the machine’s ideal for process evaluation and recipe development.

Terlet serves up tasty solution for AB World Foods

Holmach are delighted to announce the supply of a new cooking system for the production of AB World Foods ethnic sauces including the leading Patak’s™ brand.

Following a request for Holmach to examine the current cooking system and recommend improvements, a new 3,000 litre cooking vessel and a Terlotherm™ scraped surface heat exchanger were installed at the Leigh factory, allowing product produced in the vessel to be rapidly heated on transfer to the filler.  The boosting of temperatures guarantees the pasteurisation process could be optimised as the initial temperature of the product was higher – leading to improved product quality especially on vegetables that are included in some of the recipes.

3,000 litre cooking vessels are just part of the Terlet range of cooking and aseptic systems.  The 3 ton vessel supplied includes a high shear mixer for particulates and powders, a special dimpled jacket heating system that gives 30% energy saving efficiency over standard heating jackets and an in-line homogeniser for making the sauce bases smooth and glossy.  With easy access for tipping of ingredients, AB World Foods are very happy with the speed at which batches can be prepared, and are then transferred over to a buffer tank near the filler.  Cooking times have been reduced significantly and the injector technology means a saving of 1% of steam usage on every batch.

Terlotherm, the unique scraped surface heat exchanger from Terlet, features only one mechanical seal and drive meaning much lower maintenance costs and the ability to inspect machine and scrapers without disturbing the seal.  One Terlotherm is able to do the job of 3, 4 or even 5 units from other manufacturers with no constant drip-drip of leaky seals.

Andrew Downie, Operations Manager at AB World Foods commented: “ We have much experience on scraped surface heat exchangers and had used other systems until we were introduced to the Terlotherm by Holmach.  The machine not only delivers superior quality product, but has proved totally reliable and has replaced a bank of 4 units from our previous supplier.”

But product quality is what the Terlotherm is about, whether heating or cooling, crystallising or gelling.  Designed for soft particulates, the rotation speed of the scraper arms can be as little as 10 rpm or as high 150rpm. On the AB World Foods product, even delicate onion strands can be handled without cutting or chopping, a major advantage over their existing technology.

With temperatures being boosted up to 20 degrees C between buffer and filler, the product does not get held at ultra high temperatures for very long, hence the lack of damage to delicate ingredients!  The machine has proved such a hit that AB World Foods have ordered a second machine for another line.

Yummy Scrummy Baby Foods

 

Very rarely can a machine that looks like a submarine be described as Truly Scrummy, but premium baby food producer, Kealth Foods, can hardly stop gurgling about their fantastic new arrival, a Lagarde retort.

The patented design means product is gently steamed to achieve beautiful baby food products in pouches, which customers are gobbling up as fast as production can make them.  Major investment has followed and as well as baby foods, Kealth make other high quality food products used widely in hospitals and for those with special dietary needs.

All Lagarde retorts now come as standard with the patented “Samantha” control system which is the first specially designed PC for retort control.  Class beating temperature and pressure control, guarantees even the most delicate laminates can be handled without deformation or damage.

With regulatory authorities demanding more and more specific report filing, the Samantha PC also claims another wining feature – batch reports in FDA approved formats.  Automatic report generation, electronic signatures, alarm and recipe information and evaluation of batch reports in standard document formats are all key benefits.

Specially designed trays allow maximum retort utilisation, saving energy and reducing the environmental impact of each pouch produced. 

Gary Bulmer, Kealth’s Managing Director commented: “When we contacted Holmach we were unfamiliar with retorting equipment, ancillaries and procedure. Holmach has provided us with excellent technical support and assistance, coupled with the quality of the Lagarde machine and PC based control, we were able to always ensure the best quality as well as complying with ever increasing reporting requirements.  Holmach’s after sales support has also been exemplary.”

Lagarde, as the World’s leading steam retort manufacturer have a reputation for high build quality, and supply most of the World’s leading manufacturers with static and rotary retorts and giving Kealth Foods a healthy start in pouch processing!

Roboqbo cools fevered brows

Roboqbo’s vacuum cook/cool vessels are proving a great hit for those wanting to rapidly cook and cool soups, sauces and marinades.

Using an internal vacuum system, linked to the CIP system to avoid bacterial growth when high vacuum is used for rapid cooling, the ultimate product quality can be guaranteed, especially when the chilled water jacket is used in combination.

The Roboqbo vessels are able to cut, cook and cool all in the one tiltable vessel, with sizes ranging from NPD units at 15 litres to high capacity 500 litre batches

Featuring a touch screen recipe management system the vessels can also be fitted with their own steam generation and compressed air systems.

Holmach have a demonstration unit available for trials and machines have already been installed for products such as natural tomato salsas, mayonnaise and fresh soups.

Lagarde secures major UK Petfood order

 

Holmach’s longest serving Principal, Lagarde Autoclaves is building new retorts for a major UK petfood processor, to be installed at the end of 2010.

The customer, having compared cycle times and energy consumptions from all the major retort suppliers, decided that the Lagarde steam/air technology gave them the best product, at the lowest possible costs.

The 2 door retorts are designed for through the wall operation, allowing true segregation from the processing and packaging sides of the factory.

Lagarde Autoclaves For Pouches

Optimised for pouches, each Lagarde 2 meter diameter unit is over 8 meters long and can accomodate nearly 12,000 petfood pouches per batch.

Commenting on the order, Chris Holland said: ” We are delighted to have proven once again, that Lagarde remain at the forefront of autoclave technology. The two door design utilised is a major first on this size of retort, and Lagarde engineers have worked hard to ensure the new technology employed has been fully tested.”

Lagarde remain one of the few manufacturers in the world to produce autoclaves using all types of different process medium including steam/air, steam spray, raining water and full water immersion technologies.