Page 75 - Food&Drink magazine April-May 2023

15 ■ MARCH – APRIL 2023 MACHINERY MATTERS
tna helps Benestar
bring home the bacon
US pork snack company Benestar Brands collaborated with tna Solutions to develop an efficient processing and packaging line for its bespoke rinds and crackling products.
With a wide portfolio of natural, protein-rich and keto-friendly snacks, Benestar Brands puts specific emphasis on delivering consistently high product quality to its loyal customer base. The new line helped Benestar Brands improve its product quality ten-fold, while significantly reducing energy use and enhancing efficiency.
Every piece of the process – from feeding and frying, to distribution systems and packaging – is optimised to ensure better products and a faster return on investment.
The tna batch-pro 12 frying technology reduces rejects to less than three per cent, while unique fryer design minimises oil use, contributing to product and material savings.
In addition, the tna batch-pro 12 fryer system provides direct-fire heating for improved energy efficiencies and lower operating costs, while the accurate and flexible tna intelli-flav OMS 5.1 seasoning system allows for consistent coverage without costly ingredient losses, contributing to a healthy bottom line.
The tna batch-pro 12 frying technology reduces rejects to less than 3%, minimising oil use and contributing to savings.
Last but not least, the tna robag 3e, high-performance vertical form fill and seal (VFFS) packaging system enabled Benestar Brands to efficiently pack both pork rinds and cracklings on the same line at a high speed.
Jose Gomez, chief technical officer at Benestar Brands, said, “tna’s experts have a deep understanding of our industry, while being open to listening to our specific needs – from footprint restrictions and frying demands to increasing seasoning – helped facilitate our partnership with tna and develop an excellent product to satisfy every pork fan.”
Tna was involved in the optimisation of processing and packaging from the outset, with the pork rinds and cracklings being fully tested at its technical centre facility in Texas, US prior to the equipment purchase.
The toughest products were put to the test to ensure a consistent texture, seasoning and flavour. Tna provided guidance and technical support throughout the entire manufacturing process, ensuring the product could be
brought to market quickly and efficiently.
“Our partnership with Benestar Brands has been very exciting and has fuelled the engineering innovation of our team,” says Adam Holloway, tna regional sales manager, North America.
“Pork rinds have very different product characteristics
a new production line, driven by regulatory changes and increasing pressures from retailers and consumers.
Tna helped Benestar Brands to replace direct heating with heat exchanger technology, reducing energy use in the most energy intensive process – frying. Tna installed a LO NOx burner, reducing harmful
“We brought the years of processing experience in terms of treating food products in oil baths, while Benestar Brands contributed specific application knowledge.”
to traditional snacks we have been working with, such as potato and tortilla chips. We brought the years of processing experience in terms of treating food products in oil baths, while Benestar Brands contributed specific application knowledge – two key ingredients for a successful outcome.”
Achieving efficiency gains and reducing environmental impact were high on the agenda for Benestar Brands when selecting
nitrogen oxide emissions and helping the company comply with Californian regulatory requirements.
Thanks to its three-stage oil filtration system, the continuous frying technology from tna ensures efficient oil management and turnover, eliminating the need to discard oil on a daily basis after every single production run, saving costly material.
The new fryer also lowers fatty acids levels, enabling nutritionally appealing, consistent end-product that tastes great and has a desirable colour and texture.
Achieving the highest quality levels whilst driving sustainable processes was of great significance to Benestar Brands, which is keen to stay true to its values and its customers.
Able to handle both pork rinds and cracklings, as well as multiple bag sizes from 42 grams to 226 grams, multipurpose equipment from tna safeguards Benestar Brands’ future operations with its inherent flexibility. ■
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