The food manufacturing industry encompasses a wide range of processing objectives that present challenges when looking for uniform results. Below, we take a look at a variety of food products, and recommend the right mixing equipment to accomplish a high level of consistency between batches and facilities.
Baking Mixes
Mixes for breads, cakes, cookies, muffins, biscuits, waffles, brownies and other baked goods demand a high level of accuracy. Ingredients such as flour, baking soda, sugar, milk powder, starch, yeast, salt, gums, flavors and additives are combined in a precise proportion which must be preserved in the final packaging. Thorough mixing in a well-designed Ribbon Blender is a reliable method for preparing baking mixes with superior batch to-batch consistency and minimal downtime between recipes.
The Ross Ribbon Blender provides cost-effective and accurate mixing of baking mixes. Dry ingredients are loaded into the U-shaped trough and mixed by a horizontal solid-shaft agitator consisting of inner and outer helical ribbons. The position and precise pitch of each ribbon produce a well-balanced axial and radial flow pattern, promoting fast and thorough mixing even of very minor ingredients. If present, liquid components are sprayed into the powders at a controlled rate to evenly coat the solid particles during vigorous mixing.
Sauces and dressings
Many types of food mixing equipment overlap in use and function such that certain applications – like dips, sauces and dressings – can be produced in more than one mixing system. Manufacturers always look for the best combination of performance and value, so economics often rule out those alternatives that require a more costly initial investment. However, differences in efficiency and equipment versatility must not be overlooked. To take advantage of ever-evolving trends in flavor profiles and ingredients, manufacturers of dips, sauces and dressings can optimize production by investing in a mixing strategy suited for a wide range of viscosity, shear and volume requirements.
Ross High Shear Mixers, Multi-Shaft Mixers, and Ultra-High Shear Mixers provide an ideal combination to accomplish the correct viscosity and texture for most sauces. Raw ingredients can be pureed and dispersed efficiently via a High Shear Mixer, blended to a paste consistency in a Dual Shaft Mixer, and finally smoothly emulsified with an Ultra-High Shear Mixer.
What makes a great guacamole?
Guacamole is a sauce made from avocado typically mixed with tomato, onion, garlic, lime juice, chili, cilantro and other herbs. Eaten as a dip or salad dressing, guacamole is best served immediately after preparation because enzymes in the avocado react with oxygen in the air, causing the flesh to turn brown soon after it is cut and peeled.
Commercially-prepared guacamole therefore requires fast mixing to overcome this issue prior to packaging. A Ross Ribbon Blender is an ideal method for producing bulk quantities of fresh guacamole recipes, with these features:
- Speed controls to help achieve uniform taste, appearance and consistency without over-mixing
- Control size reduction to ensure desired texture in a very delicate recipe
- Vacuum conditions to delay oxidation of avocado flesh, resulting in fresher taste and color.
Starch dispersions and thickening agents
Dispersing powdered starch into liquid is a common mixing challenge because the starch tends to float and form lumps (“fish eyes”) if not added or agitated properly.
The Ross Solids/Liquid Injection Manifold (SLIM) Technology allows bulk dispersion of starch powders and other kinds of thickeners. The SLIM features a unique rotor/stator mixer capable of drawing powders directly into a high-shear zone without the use of eductors or pumps. Its mixing action inherently generates a powerful vacuum that immediately disperses the solids sub-surface into a liquid stream or a liquid batch.
Liquid supplements, vitamins, and minerals
In the production of ready-to drink supplements and liquid vitamin-filled capsules, proper mixing is one of the most critical steps in achieving lot-to-lot consistency and efficacy. The mixing process directly impacts end product characteristics like taste, mouthfeel, appearance, viscosity, purity, and stability.
Ross Sanitary Multi-Shaft Mixers are widely used to prepare liquid supplements, vitamins and minerals. Equipped with two or more independently-driven agitators working in tandem, Multi-Shaft Mixers deliver a robust combination of high shear agitation and laminar bulk flow within a wide viscosity range: from water-like consistency to several hundred thousand centipoise.
Paid content provided by Charles Ross & Son Company.
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Very Informative! Deeply Detailed about everything! Now I clearly understood how baking mix process is carried out. Thanks for sharing!!!