Helping snack manufacturers develop new products and processes
Baker Perkins showcased its technology and services that enable snack manufacturers to take advantage of new market opportunities, at Snackex 2013 in Gothenburg (June 12 – 13, stand 323).
Baker Perkins’ wide range of process technologies, process engineering knowledge, and facilities at its Innovation Centre at Peterborough, combine to offer a unique level of service to develop and prove processes.
The test and development facilities in the Innovation Centre are part of the Baker Perkins service that offers customers help to take new products from initial concept to full production. Plant layouts, design and manufacture of the equipment, installation, plus commissioning and training, complete the process of creating an efficient, reliable snack system.
New product ideas may address health and dietary issues, where a wide range of process technologies can develop snacks which are just as satisfying as the mainstream, but have a lower fat content.
New textures and flavours are important in this market, and easily achievable with twin screw extrusion combined with other process technologies. Unique flavours can be applied, together with unusual shapes and textures. Intriguing ingredients can be used: vegetables, pulses, seaweed and ‘ancient’ grains such as spelt, millet and kamut are potential components for innovative and diverse snacks.
As well as product development, customers use Baker Perkins’ Innovation Centre facilities to evaluate process technologies for existing products. This can include converting snacks made with a single-screw extruder, to a twin-screw process. Potential benefits include a wider palette of ingredients, greater throughput, improved quality and increased flexibility.
Companies find that thorough trials, often using their own raw materials, provide a reliable basis for trouble-free commissioning of new plant or launch of a new product.
The Innovation Centre is used by customers from all regions of the world who develop high quality end products for their respective marketplaces. It is a secure environment where visitors are assured of total confidentiality.
A recently installed SBX Master™ twin-screw extruder installed in the Innovation Centre widens the selection of potential applications and end product options. The new extruder, with a 250 kg/hour maximum capacity, is ideal for both short runs for initial development purposes, and longer runs to optimize a process and confirm its stability and product quality.
The SBX Extruder can be run in standard or extended-barrel mode, which allows a wider selection of process options, including a longer cooking time. Direct expanded, face cut, extruded and formed, and co-extruded products can be made.
The Innovation Centre also contains facilities for downstream snack processes including drying, toasting, frying, baking, coating and flavouring. A range of post-extrusion forming and cutting technologies, including co-extrusion with savoury pastes and creams, can create high-value snacks with an interesting and diverse range of shapes, textures and surface finishes.
The Baker Perkins SBX Master™ twin-screw extruder is available in a range of outputs between 250 and 2,300 kg/hour of snacks or cereals. It is the basis for extrusion systems making standard direct expanded snacks.
The Baker Perkins modular Snack Master™ concept means that as a business develops, a line may be extended in stages to broaden the range of products that can be made.
