Multi product breakfast cereal plant
Date: 10 September 2004
Portuguese company expands with Baker Perkins technology
A new, multi-product breakfast cereal plant has been installed by Baker Perkins for a leading Portuguese company. It enables Nacional, part of the Amorim-Lage group, to make a wide variety of extruded products.
Nacional already manufactures traditional cornflakes using two Baker Perkins cereal cookers. The new cooker-extrusion plant is the catalyst for major expansion into the cereal sector with a variety of high-value own-brand and supermarket own-label products.
Amorim-Lage is the leading miller in Portugal, and also has developed strong positions in related sectors including biscuits and pasta. When the group sought to upgrade and expand its breakfast cereal activities, it looked at a range of alternative suppliers. The decision to invest with Baker Perkins was based on the company's proven track record with other European manufacturers that have grown strong businesses; an ability to provide in-depth process support; and its broad range of high quality equipment.
Baker Perkins supplied and installed a complete process plant, from dry powder mixing through to drying, at Nacional's factory in Trofa near Oporto. It will initially make a variety of different expanded products: cornballs, cocoballs, choco curls, golden squares, stars and rings; plus co-extruded filled pillows. All of them, except the pillows will be coated with a honey, sugar or glucose based glaze.
The entire product range was proven in the Baker Perkins Innovation Centre at Peterborough. This facility contains laboratory and production scale extrusion plant, and is widely used by food manufacturers for process and product development trials.
Most Nacional products are cut into individual pieces by the die as they leave the extruder: die design is crucial in controlling shape, expansion and shell structure, and providing end products of differing formulation and shape.
A key feature of the installation is the ability to respond to market demand by rapid changeover between products, including those where different raw materials and syrup are involved.
To create filled pillow products, which cannot be cut at the die a mobile crimping unit is wheeled in and out of the line.
The system includes a 'Thermoglide' toaster. These units are ideal for toasting, drying, roasting and expanding a wide range of cereals and snacks - the products are carried through the toaster on a fluidised bed of air to minimise product damage.
Nacional is taking the opportunity to improve the quality of products from its existing cornflake line by diverting them through the new Thermoglide and coating system.
The Baker Perkins syrup preparation and coating system enhances product flavour and appearance. The Autofeed weighing and feeding systems feeds a skid based syrup preparation system that dissolves the sugar granules and incorporates cocoa into the dissolved syrup before metering the syrup to a coating drum where it is sprayed onto the product.
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