The shifting economics of Middle Eastern nations offers opportunity for savvy snack food processors. The Middle East and Africa snack products market was valued at USD 36 Billion in 2021 and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 4.1% to reach USD 43.8 Billion by 2026. Factors contributing to this growth include increasing urbanisation and a growing demand for healthier, portable, convenient snack foods.
While the pandemic is driving an evolution in working and living arrangements for many, it is also shaping the market trend towards healthier eating and food safety. With the ever-expanding list of ‘better-for-you’ snacks options there is tremendous opportunity for snack processors to capture this market. By working with a single-source supplier, food processors are creating fully customised snack lines, using innovative technology that has been developed through years of experience delivering snack food systems around the world.
Heat and Control are one such supplier. This industry leading equipment supplier can provide all the equipment (and services) needed to produce the highest quality snack foods, while also achieving higher capacities and lower production costs.
In this article, they share some of their most innovative solutions for the snack industry.
The Rotary Dryer Roaster makes a variety of product characteristics possible by utilizing multiple processing zones
Oil Roasting & Frying
Their HeatWave® Fryer Snack Fryer is a patented and proven breakthrough fryer design which cooks snacks using curtains of clean filtered oil instead of submersion.
The oil enrobes the product, transferring heat quickly and uniformly. The innovative design allows a processor to efficiently fry with multiple curtains of oil and operate with dramatically lower oil volume than conventional fryers. This equipment operates with the lowest system oil volume of any continuous fryer and rapid oil turnover rates will produce snacks with a fresh flavor and long shelf life because they are cooked only in clean filtered oil.
Ideal applications include nuts, namkeen, peas, batter coated snacks, extruded and noodle snacks and pellet snacks. Various product conveyor and infeed configurations can be customised and will depend on the product.
Oil Filtration
The OilSaver Filtration System is the latest addition to Heat and Control’s comprehensive range of oil management systems. The innovative oil filtration system can be used with any fryer and keeps frying oil in good condition for use with a wide variety of snack foods. The system features innovative vacuum technology which makes it the safest option on the market because it’s pressure-less, oil filtration system means there is no chance it can spray dangerous hot oil during production.
Snack food processors are using this system to extend the life of their frying oil in a wide variety of snack applications such as: ethnic foods, peanuts, appetizers, coated protein products, donuts and much more. It preserves frying oil quality by removing solids (coating, crumbs, etc.) using high efficiency filtration during production while the fryer is in use and can maintain consistent colour, reduce generation of free fatty acids, and minimise the chance of scorching and off flavours.
All of Heat and Control’s oil management solutions are designed to maximise oil quality and improve energy efficiency. Advanced control over oil heating, filtration, transfer, cooling, and storage, as well as rapid oil turnover rate, is key to creating fresh and delicious snack products.
Dry Roasting
The Rotary Dryer Roaster (RDR) gives processors complete control in drying or roasting with it’s continuous, gentle, and sanitary manner. High volume convective airflow combined with gentle rotary motion ensures all product is uniformly treated with heated air. Operators have full control over roasting and drying process variables which enhances colour, flavour, and texture of the product.
The design handles the raw product in a continuous, high-density manner through a unique flighted drum that ensures positive motion. The unique drum design facilitates continuous first-in-first-out product flow and has independent fans and burners in multiple convection zones providing complete process control that can be tailored to numerous product profiles. Ideal snack applications include nuts and dough-coated nuts, seeds, jerky, meat chips, protein-based snacks and pellet snacks.
Breakthrough design roasts nuts through curtains of oil
Seasoning & Coating Systems
Seasoning and coating systems guarantee consistent, uniform application of both liquid and dry seasonings. They provide accurately metered and sprayed liquids and precisely measured dry powders which ensures reliable and even seasoning coverage suitable for applications such as glazing, oil, water, salt, sugar, dough, chocolate, yoghurt, batters, and spice-based seasonings.
Heat and Control is a world innovator and leader in on-machine seasoning. A patented On-Machine Seasoning (OMS) application method is proven to provide the industry’s most efficient and uniform coverage. Snack processors know that perfect application of herbs, spices, and flavourings, starts long before the actual powder hits the product. The OMS offers significant savings and flexibility by applying seasoning to products just before they enter the weigher. This also allows snack processors to easily cater to seasonal campaigns and trending demand for regional flavors.
Most of the world’s snack foods are produced on Heat and Control equipment. From unloading raw produce to frying, conveying, and seasoning, we provide all the equipment and services required to make the highest quality snack foods while achieving higher capacities and lower production costs. Contact Heat and Control via [email protected] or visit www.heatandcontrol.com
