PET Food Processing - March 2019 - 50

EQUIPMENT

"It's critical to have a good way to monitor the coating
performance, measuring the liquid and dry forms."
Terry Stemler, APEC
Maintaining safety and accuracy can also mean using
strainers in-line to the coater to prevent potential plugging of the liquid spray nozzles, which can lead to nonuniform application. It could also require taking steps
to reduce degradation in fragile product or uniquely
shaped feline products. Today's current gentle handling
designs and lower operational speeds or RPMs help to
further reduce these challenges.
To optimize consistency in finished coated products
with liquid application, Heat and Control features an
enclosed, continuous coating system with multi-nozzle
spray manifolds. For dry coating, the company features a
powder feeder with scarf plate distribution tray. The coating drum provides the necessary dwell time and product
exposure for coating. "Using multi-nozzle spray manifolds
for the liquids and the scarf plate distributor for the dry
application provide an expanded coating zone that allows
for a gradual application of the targeted amounts of the
liquid and dry additions," Nanney says.
Enclosed drum coating
systems help collect airborne
mist or dust produced as a
result of the coating process
to protect plant workers and
increase the consistency of
finished products.
Heat and Control

Food safety strategies

To manage the risk by maintaining the closed system and normal operation, Wenger recommends
a product purge and diversion after the coater on
the start-up of the next production. Proper care
and maintenance can also deter oxidative rancidity that can occur within the liquid storage systems,
scales or transfer lines if they aren't regularly cycled,
purged and cleaned. Product retention

PET FOOD PROCESSING | March 2019 | www.petfoodprocessing.net

after each production lot can lead to mixed product and any intervention of opening the system or
cleaning it between productions can increase the
risk of cross contamination from the atmosphere
or operators.
Outcomes can also be impacted by improper temperature. To ensure optimum coating of the products,
Wenger suggests a post-coating cooling process to set
the coating and bring product within 10 F of ambient
storage conditions. Streit prescribes a product temperature range of 50 C to 60 C (122 F to 140 F) before
entering the coater. Products that are too hot run the risk
of poor cuts, shrinkage or deformation. Higher temperatures also court the possibility of condensation forming
on the material. Cooling product prior to packaging
prevents condensation in the bag that can decrease shelf
life. Any microbes and mold in the final product will be
related to lack of temperature control.
To alleviate this issue, Wenger designs and sizes horizontal dryer and dryer/cooler styles for specific applications, ranging from 0.2 to 22 tons per hour. Options
include the TrueTemp dryer series and the company's
new Enhanced Sanitary Dryer, designed to reduce the
potential for cross-contamination and bacteria build-up,
and resulting production time lost to off-line inspection
and cleaning.
"Condensation is a significant food safety risk," Streit
says. "Along with the inherent product and dry palatant
fines in the coater, condensation provides the medium
for accelerated bacteria growth. This risk can be mitigated via insulated jacketed heating systems."
Processors can also mitigate sanitation concerns
by insisting on equipment with Clean-in-Place (CIP)
accessibility to all components. This is an important
step toward having the means for thorough inspection and the ability to clean and provide maintenance
of all liquid systems, scales, meters, bins and coaters.
Design features must promote ease-of-product delivery, quick product changeovers and easy cleaning. This
includes equipment access doors with admittance to the
entirety of the coater along with a recommended product purge and diversion after the coater on the start-up
of the next production.
"Given the amount of effort put into optimized coating formulation for nutritional adequacy, palatability
and product performance as well as the cost of these ingredients, accuracy of the application is very important,"
Streit concludes.
PFP

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PET Food Processing - March 2019

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