Page 25 - AMEFT Journal 2021-4

FOCUS: CONFECTIONERY & SNACKS
Systems’ U.S. headquarters in Robesonia, Pennsylvania, the Science & Innovation Center is a licensed food production facility used for product research and de- velopment, as well as RBS equipment testing and dem- onstration.
Since 2018, DIFCO has
been working closely with
RBS to install the Multi-Crisp
Baked Snack System in its new plant in Ferzol.
Auto-baked potato chips
As part of DIFCO’s five-year expan- sion plan, the Multi-Crisp System would initially be dedicated to produc- ing several SNIPS baked potato chip varieties. A version of the line is capa- ble of supporting 750 kg of chip pro- duction per hour and allowing future product differentiation and expansion.
Production on the Multi-Crisp Sys- tem begins with the automated FX Continuous Mixer, which optimizes food safety by eliminating dough ex- posure to the environment during mixing. From the mixer, dough travels along a transport conveyor and is auto- matically fed into a 2-Roll Sheeter.
Unlike the 4-roll sheeters used on traditional wheat-based cracker lines, the 2-roll sheeter is designed to han-
(Source: DIFCO)
A successful start and the journey beyond
Commissioned in the spring of 2019, RBS process technolo- gists worked with the DIFCO team to perfect the technology. Launched in July of 2021, the line includes five baked potato chip flavor varieties – Sea Salt, Salt & Vinegar, French Cheese, Honey Mustard, and Barbeque. Currently, the automated
dle more “sensitive” doughs – potato, corn, pea, multi-grain, and others – that are more difficult to sheet and form.
For additional product flexibility, DIF- CO included a rippled gauge roll to cre- ate rippled baked chips as well. From there, an integrated conveyor moves the sheet through a rotary cutting sta- tion that pressurizes the dough against a rotating die assembly while continu- ously cutting it into distinct product shapes.
Finally, in the Ferzol line configu- ration, the cut chips travel through three modular, 12-meter oven con- vection zones and a Multi-Pass Dryer. This convection baking system pro- vides a balanced bake and develops the interesting texture of the chips. The Multi-Pass Dryer efficiently brings the product to its final mois- ture and provides the operator with greater process control.
Multi-Crisp System is operating on one 10-hour shift per day and is producing about 150 tons of chips per month – all with just one operator.
DIFCO reports that consumer feed- back on SNIPS baked potato chips has been extremely positive, and is reflect- ed by a 20% increase in demand every month since the launch. By the end of 2021, DIFCO expects to reach a produc- tion volume of at least 260 tons per month. Other products in the pipe-line are baked tortilla chips, crackers, and a variety of high-protein snacks.
As DIFCO’s Deputy General Manager Sabine Daher summarizes, “Our SNIPS baked snack products were already an international success story before we began working with Reading Bakery Systems, but their innovative tech- nology and product support is help- ing us take our success to the next level.”
(Source: DIFCO)
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