Baker Perkins at Sweet & SnackTec China
Date: 05 October 2010
A new approach to extending installed line capability
Baker Perkins is promoting an innovative approach to extending the end product capability of extruded snack systems at the Sweet & SnackTec China exhibition in Shanghai, October 28 to 30 (booth A20).
The modular Snack Master concept encourages companies to enter the market with an uncomplicated extrusion system making standard, direct expanded snacks such as corn curls, chipsticks, and maize rings.
As business expands, a line may be extended in stages to broaden the range of products that can be made to include both traditional and the new generation of healthy snacks. These can include a full range of high-specification, complex products including whole grain / multigrain and sweet or savoury filled pillows with intriguing shapes, textures and surface patterns; plus high added-value sticks, pillows, bars and bites in plain, shredded or filled forms. A wide choice of equipment can be added to an existing line.
As well as a comprehensive range of components dedicated to the snack industry, Baker Perkins has a unique ability to adapt and integrate equipment and processes from other sectors such as biscuit, cereal and confectionery.
Baker Perkins provides the process and engineering expertise to reconfigure the lines and ensure that the new equipment is integrated seamlessly. Each installation is individually specified to match the customer’s exact product needs.
Key to the Snack Master concept is the new SBX Master twin-screw cooker extruder, a solid-barrel unit offering process flexibility through modular design, high free-volume geometry and high torque capacity. With the range of barrel diameters available, outputs from 225 to 2,000kg.hr are possible.
Baker Perkins also continues to develop innovative end-product opportunities for snack manufacturers. The latest concept is the extrusion of flavoured croutons. Extrusion is a much simpler and more economic solution for these bagged snacks than the conventional process based on mixing, forming and baking of bread dough. The light, crunchy texture is ideal for snack products and is compatible with a wide range of different savoury flavours.
Another original extrusion process provides a thin sheet of dough which is rotary cut before being fried or baked and flavoured. This new process makes possible exciting taste and texture combinations with high consumer appeal.
‘Credit cards’ are novel slim, flat, rectangular co-extruded wafers that can incorporate a wide variety of savoury or sweet fillings. They may be positioned as snacks in their own right or as ‘dipping’ products – perhaps a peanut butter snack into savoury spread, or a tomato filled snack into cheese.
Baker Perkins provides its customers with Lifetime SupporTM for each piece of process equipment. This begins with product and process development trials in the Innovation Centre; continues through plant design, supply and installation; and finally provides a full range of customer services including spare parts and equipment upgrades.
