Baking & Snack - March 2019 - 32

WYANDOT SNACKS

Left: Forty rows of packaging keep popcorn, chips and
better-for-you snacks moving on to case packing.
Right: Wyandot's first entry
into automated case packing has streamlined the area
in a small footprint.

chips that are produced with Casa Herrera ovens and
Heat and Control fryers and seasoning drums. The company has seemingly innumerable roller dies to create any
shape of chip imaginable, and the same can be said on
the extruded lines. "We can make just about any shape a
customer wants," Mr. Wells said. From dime-size tortilla
chips to whale-shaped snacks, the possibilities are endless.

Packaging possibilities
While co-manufacturing is the supermajority, Wyandot
still has some private label business, and popcorn - the
legacy product - is still on the menu. To get this many
different products out the door, packaging automation is
a key factor. And flexibility is the battle cry.
In any food manufacturing facility with a limited
footprint, when the rows of packaging machines have
stretched as far as they can, operators will typically look
upward. At Wyandot, a mezzanine level houses Heat
and Control FastBack systems that convey, portion and
weigh products such as corn and tortilla chips before
they are packaged into bags on Kliklok-Woodman or
TNA packaging lines.
After being placed in bags, chips are automatically
placed in one of two BluePrint Automation (BPA) case
packers, the most recent entry into the company's extensive packaging operation having been added in 2017.
With just one production facility, Wyandot's strategic
packaging equipment purchases, such as with the case
packers, help the company remain mindful of its space
constraints. "Technology has advanced even from just a
year ago," Mr. Wells said.
"The footprint continues to shrink on equipment,
which is good for companies like Wyandot, where space
is a little tight. The technology is getting to where we'll

32 Baking & Snack March 2019 / www.bakingandsnack.com

be able to automate more than what we do today."
The BPA equipment was Wyandot's first foray into
automating this area of the operation, but the company's propensity to work with incubator snack producers lends itself well to the prospect of new automation
technologies that allow Wyandot to increase its volume
without having to expand its footprint ... at least for
now. As part of the next phase of the company's strategic
plan, Wyandot is looking at some point to open a second
plant on the West Coast.

Staying safe
Food safety is a pillar for Wyandot, and that shines
through in its recent appointment of SQF Level 3 certification. But the standards don't stop there; with a culture
of continuous improvement, Wyandot is always upping
its game. "It used to be that Level 2 was such a high bar,
but now, Level 2 is often the minimum level required by
brandholders and retailers," Mr. Sarlls said.
Level 3 certification is a defining quality for the type
of better-for-you snack production Wyandot wants to be
known for. "It builds trust and affirms our commitment to
customers and consumers alike," Mr. Wells said. "It also
reflects engagement at all levels of the company, from the
board to the manufacturing floor. Our entire food safety
and quality system - from formulation to material ordering through processing, packaging and shipping - is
covered in the scope of the SQF audit process."
A co-manufacturer often sets the baseline for food safety and quality protocols on the standards of its most stringent customer. For example, Wyandot's toddler snacks
customer is the gold standard for food safety and requirements, which are so rigorous that they will usually ensure
full compliance with any other standards or audits.

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