Making better batch-fried chips

An integrated frying, seasoning and packing system helps Preziosi Food enter the batch-fried chips market.

Wanting to add batch-fried chips to its existing range of snack products, Italian snack manufacturer Preziosi Food (Mitica) approached tna. The company wanted a supplier that could deliver consistent quality, flexibility and performance for every section of the production line, including frying, seasoning and packaging, while maintaining the level of quality for which Preziosi is known.

High-performance frying

Preziosi Food needed a high-performance frying system that could efficiently cook thicker potato slices and deliver the colour, texture and flavour needed for the perfect chip. The company found the answer in FOODesign (from tna) and its automated, direct-fired batch-pro 12. Suitable for cooking a range of root vegetables, including potatoes, the system’s continuous oil filtration system helps remove both fine and large particles to ensure chips are cooked in the freshest oil possible. Oil management is essential to high-performance frying and chip quality. When cooked, potato slices take on 23% of the oil, meaning 77% remains after the batch is complete. The remaining oil is subsequently filtered out and blended with fresh oil to return levels to 100%.

Alongside continuous oil circulation, full temperature control 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 caramelisation and browning of the product, is prevented, and the company is able to achieve a consistent chip colour.

In addition, Preziosi Food was also looking to meet specific production targets. This meant it required a system that could fry high volumes of product without raising operating costs. Thanks to the system’s quick heat recovery capabilities, the FOODesign direct-fired batch-pro 12 optimises production by ensuring the oil returns to optimum frying temperature quickly and efficiently. As a result, Preziosi Food now processes 230 kg/h of finished product.

Consistently flavoured

Seasoning plays an important role in a product’s overall taste, texture and appeal. Once the flavour for the new product line was decided, Preziosi Food required a flavouring system that could coat irregular-shaped products consistently and with ease for optimum taste and appearance on every chip produced. In addition, application accuracy was a key consideration for the snack manufacturer. Applying an incorrect level of seasoning can have a significant impact on both input costs in terms of raw materials and wastage costs from rejected products that are either over- or under-seasoned.

In light of these requirements, tna installed its on-machine seasoning (OMS) system, the tna intelli-flav ^OMS 5, to apply seasoning to Preziosi Food’s salted range of batch-fried chips. Featuring a responsive variable mass seasoning mechanism with dynamic vibratory weigher, the tna intelli-flav ^OMS 5 directly controls oil spray and powder flow into the drum. This enables an accurate, proportional amount of seasoning to be evenly applied to the product for improved coverage and flavour dispersion, meeting Preziosi Food’s objectives for a high-quality, evenly seasoned end product.

Further performance benefits are achieved through the enhanced position of the scarfplate on the machine infeed. Mounted to the edge of the drum, the scarf better directs the product into the spraying and flavouring area, providing even seasoning for every batch of chips. Additionally, the scalloped infeed conveyor design allows more product to enter the seasoning drum, while also helping to control product direction for greater seasoning accuracy and reduced waste. This helped Preziosi Food achieve cost savings and ultimately increase profitability.

In addition, the company was also looking for a seasoning system with the flexibility to meet its future flavour requirements. With plans to expand its range and add additional flavours to the new line, it was crucial the system would be able to handle the required seasoning type and perform fast flavour changeovers when required. tna’s OMS equipment is fully integrated with spray and flavour injection systems which are suitable for both wet, dry and slurry seasoning applications, offering Preziosi Food flexibility for its forthcoming needs. Furthermore, the tna intelli-flav ^OMS 5 is designed so all parts that are in contact with the flavourings can be cleaned and replaced within a few minutes. This ability to clean equipment and perform product changeovers in the shortest amount of time will not only allow Preziosi Food to adhere to food safety guidelines, but also maintain profitability by keeping downtime to a minimum.

Top bagging performance

In an effort to take efficiency to the next level, Preziosi Food was looking to replace its existing bagger with an automated packaging system that was easy to use, while also optimising throughput rates. With a relatively limited amount of space available, a key deciding factor for the manufacturer was system footprint.

The tna robag ^FX 3ci was the obvious solution, reaching speeds of 180 bags/min (bpm) while offering efficiencies of up to 99% of target output. For Preziosi Food, adding the tna robag ^FX 3ci to their production facilities meant doubling productivity. In addition to meeting their throughput objectives, tna’s robag ^FX 3ci also enhances packaging accuracy with a rotary jaw design that uses impulse sealing technology. As a result, the new system now helps Preziosi Food ensure high-quality, consistent packaging for optimum consumer appeal, as well as reduced packaging film waste, translating into significant cost savings.

With little floor space available, tna not only provided Preziosi Food with a system that allows them to make the most of the resources available, but also meets their requirements in terms of product throughput and bag quality.

Top image: tna's FOODesign batch-pro 12.