Inventive processes and products for the snack industry at Pack Expo 2012

Snack Master™ concept allows line extension

Baker Perkins stressed its ability to provide inventive processes and products for the snack industry at Pack Expo (booth 7255 in the Processing Zone).

The modular Snack Master™ concept enables companies to enter the market with an uncomplicated extrusion system making standard, direct expanded snacks such as corn curls, chipsticks and maize rings.

As business expands, a line may be extended in stages to broaden the range of products that can be made to include both traditional and the new generation of healthy snacks. These can include a full portfolio of high specification, complex products including whole grain / multigrain and sweet or savoury filled pillows with intriguing shapes, textures and surface patterns; plus high added-value sticks, pillows, bars and bites in plain, shredded or filled forms.

A new process makes a completely fresh range of extruded products using an innovative die that produces a thin, wide sheet of dough that is cut into regular, geometric shapes by an in-line rotary cutter. The shapes may be fried as a conventional snack, or even baked to produce low-fat snacks.

Another innovative process is continuous puffing of pellet snacks using hot air. Based on the proven Thermoglide2™ Toaster, the new snack puffing system replaces frying as a means of converting pellets into a finished snack. No oil is absorbed during the expansion process, unlike frying, and only the minimum amounts required for flavour need to be added afterwards.

Extrusion is a much simpler and more economic process for manufacturing flavoured croutons than the conventional process based on mixing, forming and baking of bread dough. Extruded croutons have a light, crunchy texture that is ideal for snack products and compatible with a wide range of savoury flavours.