PET Food Processing - December 2019 - 50

EQUIPMENT

Top: Automated
retort loading and
unloading can
improve energy and
water sustainability,
and control systembased preventive and
predictive maintenance systems can
lower the total cost of
ownership of thermal
processing units such
as these retorts.
Allpax

Middle: In large scale
production, relying
on automation for
thermal processes
can fine tune
efficiency and, in
turn, profitability.
Sosland Publishing

Bottom: Efficiency
goes hand in hand
with consistency
when it comes to
baked pet food and
treats. Automated
tunnel ovens
measure heat flux,
temperature, air
flow and humidity to
provide repeatable
results.
Reading Bakery Systems

manufacturers. Heat and Control recently introduced the Rotary Dryer Roaster (RDR) to
the pet food market. "The RDR is a continuous dryer/roaster which can dry or roast various pet treats, from jerky treats to nuggettype treats," says Doug Kozenski, sales manager, processing, Heat and Control, Hayward,
California. "The RDR greatly reduces the
process time to dry product as compared to
traditional rack oven/smokehouse methods.
In testing... treats with beginning moistures
of approximately 60-70% have been dried
to less than 10% in around 2 hours or less.
Because the RDR reduces process time needed, the gas consumption required for equivalent production rates is likewise reduced."
Cozzini, LLC, a subsidiary of the Middleby
Corporation, understands the importance of
reducing processing time to improve overall
productivity rates. ALKAR, also a subsidiary of Middleby, recently introduced a continuous linear oven called the Turbo Chef
by ALKAR. It combines convection heating,
microwave technology, humidity control,
natural smoke and metal belting. "In working
with companies within the industry, we have
been able to produce extruded pet snacks,
and whole muscle pet snacks that normally
have process times of 6-10 hours in under 20
minutes," says Jim Gaydusek, US and Canada
sales director, Cozzini LLC, Chicago, Illinois.

Minimizing losses
Minimizing product loss is a key consideration for any processing facility. Managing
the moisture content in pet food and treat
products is one way for processors to achieve
this aim. "We want to keep moisture levels as
maximized as possible while still being safe.
Technology needs to be accurate with getting to a target moisture percentage, and not
allowing us to get into a wasteful situation,"
Tramp says.
Ondrej Nikel, director of engineering,
Topos Mondial Corporation, Pottstown,
Pennsylvania, highlights the importance of
keeping fuel costs to a minimum. "If you can
buy less fuel per pound of product produced,
then you're going to do better with your
costs and you'll increase your profit. Thanks
to their insulation and unique construction, our J4 ovens can help minimize losses.
This means that you're not heating up your

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PET Food Processing - December 2019

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