Every food production company must ensure that their food is safe. If chemical processes in the food industry are not carried out safely, many people may get sick or even die.
They use cutting-edge equipment, including pasteurization, packaging, flavors, decontamination, GMOs, and dehydration. This guide will further discuss how raw food materials are chemically converted to produce finished products.
Handling and Storage
Manipulation of ingredients and other raw materials during processing is diverse and varied. The main objective of food processing is to eliminate manual handling through mechanization and automation.
Mechanical handling involves in-plant self-propelled transport by conveyor belts, bucket elevators, spiral conveyors, or air fuming.
Storing raw materials is an essential step in the food processing industry, generally done in bins, cold stores, tanks, or cellars. Storing finished products may vary based on their nature (solid or liquid), preservation method, and packaging method (loose packaging or packaging in bundles or boxes).
The premises for food storage must be suitable for conditions of preserving and handling. Traffic aisles, temperature and humidity, ease of access, and cold-storage installations are some factors to consider.
Extraction
Methods such as pounding, grinding, heat extraction, drying, and filtration may be used to extract food products from cereal, fruit, or liquids. Crushing and grinding are often used as preparatory procedures, while heat is directly used for roasting or in the form of steam.
Oils can be extracted by combining crushed fruit and solvents and later removed by filtering and reheating. The separation of liquid products is done by centrifuging turbines or filter pressures.
Pasteurization
Before pasteurization, tuberculosis was a major threat to people drinking raw milk. During this process, milk or juice is quickly heated at a high temperature to eliminate the microbes. Pasteurization ensures that the product’s flavor or function remains unchanged.
Other semi-solid foods that undergo pasteurization include salad dressing, jams and jellies, canned goods, baby food, stew, soup, syrups, yogurt, eggs, sauces, salsa, and condiments like mustard, ketchup, and mayonnaise.
Food Preservation and Dehydration
Food preservation methods include radiation sterilization, antibiotic sterilization, chemical action, refrigeration, and dehydration. These methods not only eliminate microbial life but also inhibit their growth and also keep foods fresh and prevent the risk of contamination.
Raw ingredients like meat and fish, vegetables, or fruit are preserved in new form using any of these preservation methods. Smoking dehydrates products such as ham and bacon, which also gives them a distinctive flavor. The process of dehydration involves transferring heat into the water present in the food, vaporizing it, and then removing the water vapor.
Packaging
Packaging is any type of container used to store, protect, and carry food. Cans, glass jars, and breathable packaging are a few examples of packaging. The canning process involves packing ready, raw, or partly cooked food into a sealed can. The next step is to heat the can by steam to a specific temperature at a certain period to allow heat penetration to the can’s center. This also kills microbes in the food.
In aseptic packaging, food containers and their closures are separately sterilized, while the food is filled and sealed in a sterile environment. Moreover, partly cooked meat dishes, animal carcasses, fish products, fruits, and vegetables are stored in frozen packaging.
Specialized Equipment
Chemical processes in the food industry can be extremely demanding for workers and equipment. Most facilities choose specialized equipment for the manufacturing process that can withstand extreme operating conditions such as stress, pressure, corrosion, and heat.
Moreover, workers must also be provided with proper training and the right clothing, including heat-resistant gloves, to deal with these conditions.
Mechanical Seals
Food production involves a series of chemical processes that take place in a hazardous environment. So it’s crucial to choose machinery and components that can operate seamlessly even in the harshest conditions. Mechanical seals are one of the major components installed in all types of machinery.
They’re commonly installed in centrifugal pumps, twin screw pumps, positive displacement pumps, lobe pumps, mixers of all orientations, top, side, or bottom entry agitators, chocolate pumps, high shear mixers, evaporators, butter churns, and more.
All mechanical seals used in the industry have a long life, offer great reliability, and feature a hygienic design. These double seals have buffer sealing water and are easy to repair.
Mechanical Sealing Solutions at Robco of America
Robco of America has years of experience designing and manufacturing various mechanical seals for chemical processes in the food processing industry. We offer customized seals for hygienic purposes and ensure that all of our sealing solutions are of the highest quality that complies with the latest standards. Materials used to make mechanical seals for the food industry are strictly food-grade.
Moreover, we also offer mechanical seal repair services at cost-effective rates. Our Engineered Industrial Parts are available 24/7 to help industries prevent downtime in case of equipment breaks down due to mechanical seal failure.
If you’re looking for reliable mechanical seal repair services, call 1-800-662-0585 for technical support or email us at sales@robcoamerica.com. To learn more, check out our website.
About the Author
The author is a mechanical seal technician at Robco of America, specializing in seal repair. He offers emergency repair services to businesses in the food processing sector and emphasizes proper mechanical seal installation to ensure seamless operations.
