FLAVOUR FLOW & ADHESION Nicole Bruyndonckx GRIFFITH FOODS
Dry Seasonings Global manufacturer of savoury food ingredients since 1919 Sauces & Marinades Canada USA Mexico Costa Rica Colombia United Kingdom Belgium France Spain Germany Italy China UAE India Thailand Japan Retail & Foodservice Brazil Coating Systems Capabilities Dry blending Bakery (breadcrumbs) Liquids Flavors Solution center Seasonings applied to potato chips and savoury extruded snacks When creating seasonings How to control the flow in factory? Adhere successfully? Meets the desired organoleptic properties? Creating a seasoning Aromatic part Functional part Bulk agents Extracts, Flavours Dried ingredients Taste components 80% of the taste < 25% of the ingredients
Aromatic part Functional part Creating a seasoning Ingredients can be Sticky hydrophobic - Viscous Bulk agents Extracts, Flavours Dried ingredients Taste components Creating a seasoning Ingredients can be Sticky hydrophobic - Viscous Aromatic part Functional part Bulk agents Extracts, Flavours Dried ingredients Taste components Oil & anti caking agent free flowing Bulk agents & taste components help free flowing Creating a seasoning The order of incorporation, type of ingredient used and the blending time are crucial to create a free Conical ribbon blender flowing seasoning To avoid lumps the parameters of blending need to be adapted for each blend, for each type of powder & quantity of liquids Horizontal ribbon blender
LIQUID + Creating a seasoning Controlling flowability of seasoning by Working on the size/ granulation of ingredient The shape of the particles Controlling liquid quantity in mix (e.g. paprika OR) Drying/free flowing agent PARTICLES COATED LUMPING POWDER ANTI-CAKING AGENT FREE FLOWING What is flowability? Flow of a powder is a complex attribute and depending on many factors It can t be described as a single number However, some methods can give indications of good or poor performance in practical situations 1 Force helping: gravity There is 1 important force that promotes particle movement Higher density: often better flow!
Particle properties Size Shape Surface texture Surface area Density Cohesion Adhesion Elasticity Plasticity Porosity Hygroscopicity Hardness Amorphous Content Potential for electrostatic charge Effects of external variables Consolidation: increase particle pressure Aeration: reduction of particle pressure Moisture: increase particle adhesion, increase electrical conductivity Electrostatic charge: increase bond between particles Storage time: consolidation Temperature: during production, transport & storage Lumps/solid Fluffy Lumps/flow rate Lumps/ adhesion to equipment Lumps Influence the Tg Flow measurement methods Sieve method Funnel test Angle test
Flow measurement methods Powder flow test- Brookfield ISO standard Surface of snack and adhesion? Fryer Oily surface Sticky Easy seasoning adhesion Baked: Oven air dryer Dry surface More or less porous Less adhesion on surface Cook extruder Snack & adhesion Snack type Potato chips Indirect expended Direct expended Corn/tortilla chips Oven backed snack Application Dust on Dust on Slurry Dust on/oil spray In dough (heat stable), dust on/ oil spray
Adhesion mechanism Mechanical interlocking Interface acting as an adhesive Roughness Seasoning Seasoning Oil/fat layer Porosity /holes Porosity / surface roughness interacting with seasoning particles Snack base Some ingredient from seasoning can melt at contact of snacks surface Penetrated surface oil Oil/fat is acting as a glue to stick the seasoning to the snacks Can in case of slurry enrobe the seasoning Adhesion mechanism Mechanical interlocking: Usually a simple mechanical interlocking is happening with any snacks that have an irregular surface Smoothness of snacks surface. but it will not be sufficient on itself to create a homogenous, regular, strong flavouring Will occurs for the component particle of the seasoning fitting in shape & size with pores or surface irregularity Particle size & shape The flowability of the seasoning will have an impact on adhesion Part of the seasoning can melt at surface of (hot) snacks Components dependent Will apply to few ingredients, that more or less sensitivity This reaction will not apply to all types of base and seasonings If temperature is to high or time of exposure to long that can lead to lumps on surface Adhesion mechanism Interface acting as an adhesive through oil layer Fried snacks (crisps, pellets ) have oil on surface Oil will act as a binding agent improving particle adhesion Quantity of oil on surface binding capacity The quantity and the oil distribution on snacks surface will depend of snack base nature, pretreatment before frying, frying temperature & time Adding oil by spraying the surface can help the adhesion of seasoning Hot air popped snacks, hot air popcorn Particles of seasoning will interact depending on Size (coarse, fine, micronized), Shape Nature (hydrophobic, lipo soluble) A seasoning is a mix of ingredients, including natural ingredients Fried potato chips unseasoned Fried potato chips seasoned Microscope X 100
Adhesion mechanism The slurry (=oil + seasoning powder) will allow to add seasoning and oil together Slurry powder require Small particle size Oil dispersible ingredients (happy to be in oil) Well balance mix of ingredient Risk of bad mixing in oil, separation during time, sedimentation in pipe work Have the right quantity oil / dry seasoning Flowability of dry mix will impact the viscosity of the slurry mix Temperature of dispersion & application is important will impact the viscosity can change the distribution of particle in the mix (can fall out) Spraying system (nozzle size) is important choose the particle size in the dry mix Adhere successfully Why adhesion is key Avoid detachment of seasoning powders from products during handling and production stages can lead to substantial financial losses for the industry variable flavour performance extended cleaning down-time of fugitive particle build-up on process equipment. Target is to apply the seasoning in a uniform and consistent manner Ensuring a uniform & constant coverage of the snack Consistency in taste & visual Adhere successfully How to optimize adhesion in the development process: Understand your equipment settings Understand the optimum base adhesion signature Understand the base surface Surface shape, area, texture, porosity, greasiness Develop a seasoning to the specific requirement of the base Flow control : concentrate the seasoning to reduce % fall-off Avoid over load of seasoning, challenges minimum levels required for consistency of application levels in plant Homogeneous coverage Minimizing dust in the atmosphere Suitability with adhesion process (oil adhesion or gum adhesion) Give the right look Granulation plays a big role in visual on snacks (coarse/fine) Free flowing agent can influence colour
Seasoning must meet the desired organoleptic properties Must be strong enough to deliver the desired flavour with low rate application The ingredients (complex mix) will deliver the flavour profile Balanced profile (volatile, non volatile components) Dissolve in mouth upon eating Resist to process (temperature/heat) Resist all along product shelf-life Seasoning must meet the desired organoleptic properties Seasoning must deliver the right visual Colour is associated to taste Visual particulates Depending surface of substrate Challenges for seasoning development How to align with trends? Less salt & sugar impacts flow, carriers, functionality No E number impacts functionality, colour Allergen reduction limited ingredient range Natural ingredients sourcing, cost
Conclusions Crisps & extruded snacks is an inexhaustible category with many varieties and many processing possibilities Yesterday s values remain Pleasure, honesty, enjoyment of the senses Combined with tomorrow s values Health and good for you, environmental consideration Whatever is the complexity of seasoning, by applying the right formulation and ingredient mix and processing together all types of flavour profile can be deliver. Flavour, nutritional values, taste, convenience and cost are all elements that play a part in choosing what to snack on. All these elements are combined to make a successful product. Question & answer QUESTIONS?