Products of the Instant Food Industry
Instant food products are not evaluated during the production process, but during application. Whether a product dissolves evenly, disperses without clumping, or can be dosed reproducibly determines its acceptance and quality. These properties must be specifically adjusted during manufacturing.
In practice, complex dry mixes are created from powders, granules, agglomerates, or flakes with very different physical properties. Particle sizes, densities, and flow properties vary significantly, but should function as a functional unit in the final product.
These raw materials are used to create dry mixes that are either filled directly or used as premixes for further process steps - with clearly defined requirements for function, uniformity and reproducibility.
Typical dry products of the instant food industry are: instant soups and sauces, instant broths, dry mixes for sauces and dressings, beverage powders, protein and functional food premixes, dessert and beverage bases, baking and dough premixes, and premixes with starch, protein or hydrocolloid components.
Requirements for Mixing and Refining
In instant food production, mixing is not a preparatory step, but rather the process in which the later product characteristics are specifically adjusted. Solubility, wettability, dispersibility, and sensory uniformity are created here.
Many formulations contain components with very different properties. These must be evenly distributed without causing segregation, clumping, or changes to the desired product structure. At the same time, functional properties should be achieved stably and reproducibly.
Often, the controlled addition of liquid components such as flavors or oils is also part of the process. These must be evenly integrated into the dry mixture without causing local over-concentrations or adhesions.
Depending on the product, thermal process steps also play a role, such as for drying or for the targeted influencing of functional properties. These requirements are complemented by dust prevention, good cleanability, and frequent recipe and product changes.
Typical process engineering requirements in the instant food industry are: homogeneous mixing of complex multi-component systems, product-friendly processing, controlled liquid addition, targeted adjustment of functional product properties, integration of thermal process steps, hygienic plant design, and reproducible results with changing recipes.
amixon® Solutions for the Instant Food Industry
amixon® mixers, dryers, and reactors are particularly suitable for applications where functional properties need to be specifically adjusted and reliably reproduced in everyday production. The selection of the mixer concept depends on product structure, formulation, and process requirements.
amixon® vertical single-shaft mixers (VM) are used for complex dry mixtures with different particle properties. They are suitable for applications that require homogeneous results and gentle processing.
When high throughputs and short mixing times are paramount, amixon® vertical twin-shaft mixers (HM) are used. They support stable processes with changing formulations.
The amixon® SpherHelics® Spherical Mixer (SH) enables very homogeneous mixtures with short mixing times and is suitable for applications with high demands on mixing quality and hygienic design.
Trials at the amixon® technical centre enable practical evaluation of mixing processes and product properties and their adaptation for industrial use.
amixon® offers individually designed industrial mixers, dryers and reactors for dry bulk materials, integrated systems for liquid addition, as well as process engineering development and trials at the technical centre for the instant food industry.
If you want to develop or optimise dry mixtures for instant food applications, we can help you to implement functional properties reliably and reproducibly.
Talk to us about your application and your product-specific requirements.
amixon® – process technology for functional dry products.