Developing and producing high-standard food-products without compromising on taste, color, scent, nutritional value ... and all this without wasting valuable production time. A never-ending challenge!
Different food processing techniques serve different goals and each of them offer their specific advantages, depending on the producer's need. Finding the right combination in an extensive range of food processing solutions is often the key factor in reaching the optimal process recipe.
Some techniques like sous vide take time, others don’t (e.g. microwave) and in some cases the processes shouldn’t take time (this is especially so when working with frozen products).
Sometimes it takes time …
‘Slow cooking’: the descriptions says it all : sometimes it takes time to reach that perfect result.
A constant low temperature and a relative long cooking time are key factors for reaching that goal.
Cooking techniques like sous vide or steam cooking have gained in popularity amongst food companies who value the importance of keeping as much color, scent, taste and nutritional value as possible into their end product.
Thanks to these cooking techniques, the production of, for example, convenience food and/or ready meals has reached a whole new level when it comes to taste, variety, food quality, etc.….
After putting in all this time, care and effort it would be a contradiction to finish off these products with a technique that influences the positive characteristics of slow cooked meals.
This is where a short but intense heat impulse of electrical infrared does the trick.
The power of electrical Infrared does not affect, nor influences anything more than the desired surface. Ideal to start or finish off your slow cooking production cycle.
Sometimes it doesn’t ...
Not all processes require a lot of time, so why add more? Time is money after all. If a choice has been made to go for a fast process method like micro-wave, you don’t want to delay your process during the other steps.
After all, micro-wave, a prime example of a fast process step does have something in common with its more time-consuming companions sous vide and steam cooking. The product is perfectly cooked but is lacking color which gives it that ‘attractive home cooked’ appearance.
For finishing off microwave-cooked meat products (e.g. bacon slices) and adding color in an instant, you want to go for the technology that works quickest.
Sometimes it shouldn’t…
When working with cold/frozen products, time is of the essence. Lengthy processes with the risk of heating up your product and breaking the cold chain should be avoided at all cost.
Also here electrical infrared can bring you the solution. Examples are:
Frozen products that need to stay frozen but lack that touch of color (like e.g. frozen cakes with a merengue topping).
The deglazing of the surface of frozen products with the purpose of adding a (crumbled) coating.
Looking to give your product that attractive appeal? Check out our application examples and find your product. No similar products found? No problem, Infrabaker Int. offers you the possibility to test your product at our production facility in Overpelt. Fill in the contact form and we’ll make sure we have a test unit available.