Food & Confectionery

Traceability is becoming more important throughout the food sector as brands and suppliers seek to identify weak points, safety issues, and ethical concerns in their supply chains. With appropriate controls to monitor each input, our equipment improves traceability compared to what’s possible with batch processing. Additionally, continuous processing offers higher precision than batch processing, ultimately eliminating batch-to-batch variations that can jeopardize a candy brand’s reputation. This efficient approach to manufacturing supports Just-in-Time inventory management philosophies and facilitates fully automated production.

Readco equipment complies with all relevant food safety standards, including:

• USDA 3/A dairy
• ASME pressure vessels
• FDA Food Safety
• GMP
• OSHA

Readco will test your recipes and formulations in our lab to verify that they can be produced on our equipment. We invite you to visit and see our equipment in use, and we offer rental equipment for evaluation in your facility.

What we can’t do is tell you who else uses our equipment. Our customers quickly learn that continuous processing capabilities provide a competitive advantage, with most choosing to hold their use of our solutions close. Your products, processes, and use of our equipment will be treated with the same level of confidentiality.

Learn more about the products we’ve worked on by downloading our case studies.

• Nutrition Cereal Bar
• Extracts & Supplements
• Peanut Butter
• Plant Based Protein
• Precise Moisture
• Systems Control

Creating Plant-Based Meats, Vegan Proteins:

Challenges and Solutions

Plant-based meat analogs have gained popularity as a sustainable and ethical alternative to traditional animal-based meats. These products aim to replicate the taste, texture, and nutritional profile of meat while using plant-based ingredients. In this essay, we will explore the challenges faced during the production of plant-based meat analogs and discuss the solutions employed to overcome them.

Challenges

1. Hydration and Emulsification

Challenge: To properly hydrate protein powders and achieve emulsification with fat are critical steps in creating a meat-like texture. Plant proteins tend to be less cohesive than animal proteins, making hydration and emulsification challenging.

Solution: The production process involves mixing protein powders with water to achieve hydration. Additionally, emulsifiers and fats are added to create a stable emulsion. The choice of emulsifier and fat type significantly impacts the final product’s texture. Achieving the right balance between hydration and emulsification is essential.

2. Determining Protein Ratio

Challenge: Determining the upper limit of protein content in plant-based meat analogs is crucial. Too much protein can lead to undesirable textures or off-flavors.

Solution: Extensive testing is required to find the optimal protein-to-binder ratio. This involves evaluating sensory attributes, texture, and mouthfeel. The goal is to maximize protein content without compromising overall quality.

3. Thickening and Texturizing

Challenge: Achieving the desired texture—similar to real meat—is essential for consumer acceptance. The final thickening and texturizing solution play a significant role in this aspect.

Solution: Incorporating thickening agents (such as gums or starches) and texturizers (such as fibers or gels) helps create the desired texture. These ingredients enhance binding and mimic the fibrous structure of meat.

4. Heat Treatment

Challenge: Ensuring food safety by achieving a kill step during processing is critical. The Continuous Processor must achieve a final product exit temperature of at least 165°F.

Solution: The Continuous Processor (CP) is designed to handle high temperatures. By adjusting the jacketed barrel temperature, the product discharge temperature can be precisely controlled. A temperature of 165°F serves as an effective kill step, meeting safety requirements.

• Process Conditions
• Protein Powder: 16%
• Binder: 4%
• Water: 70%
• Fat: 5%
• Emulsifier and Flavor: 5%
• Feed Rate: 800 lb/hr
• Shaft Speed: 200 RPM

Benefits of the Continuous Processor (CP)

The Continuous Processor offers several advantages for plant-based meat analog production:

1. Customized Paddle Arrangement: The CP allows flexibility in paddle arrangement, ensuring efficient mixing and homogenization.
2. Shorter Cycle Time: Multiple operations can be performed in a single pass through the mixer, reducing production time.
3. Fewer Process Steps: The CP streamlines the production process, minimizing complexity.
4. Less Waste: Efficient mixing reduces material waste.
5. Product Consistency: The CP ensures uniformity in texture and flavor across batches.

Creating high-quality plant-based meat analogs involves overcoming hydration, emulsification, and texturization challenges. The Continuous Processor, with its customizable features, plays a crucial role in achieving consistent and safe products that meet consumer expectations.

Continuous Processing Solutions From Readco Kurimoto

Readco has been at the forefront of industrial mixing technology for over a century. In addition to meeting the demands of confectionery manufacturers for reliable, high-quality machinery, we supply continuous mixers and dry powder blending machines for chemicals, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, pigments, food products, and more. If you’re interested in learning how our continuous processing equipment could benefit your business, we invite you to contact us today.

Equipment suitable for this industry: