Microwave technology has enabled the customer to better plan production, reduce costs, and enhance the taste of the processed poppy.

What we’ve been dealing with

Poppy intended for further use in the food industry tends to become bitter over time. It is therefore advisable that it undergoes heat stabilization. By default, steam technology is used for stabilization, but it is outdated, inefficient and suppresses the taste of poppy seeds.

The customer, a major producer in the bakery sector, wondered whether there was a chance that we would replace the steam method with microwaves, which would help him to innovate, streamline and automate the process. A few initial experiments have shown that this is possible and that the method has potential.

What solution we have chosen

After months of calibration and testing, the right recipe was found. We collaborated with an independent commission on the solution, which was the guarantor that the taste and other properties of the poppy would be preserved during microwave stabilization.

In the end, the Commission’s verdict was unequivocal: „Real poppy taste, the best we’ve ever tasted.“

It was possible to heat the product in a continuous belt device. The whole process is thus continuously running at only 4 meters. This means that:

  • The whole process is faster and can be better planned
  • Stabilization not only keeps, but even enhances the taste of poppy
  • There is no need for large spaces, the microwave fits in a small footprint
  • Full process automation is possible

The outcome

The microwave equipment has served for 20 years to the full satisfaction of the customer. The preservation and enhancement of the unique taste of the supplied poppy seeds helped the customer establish himself on the market and find his regular customers here.

The local market has become so used to this taste that we can no longer afford to change anything in the process.

In 2018, the company ordered a second line and expanded production.

 

Customer: Significant producer of ready-to-use mixtures for bakers
Implementation date: 1998, second equipment 2018

Microwave technology is not only used in the processing of poppy seeds in the food industry. Explore other possibilities in the food industry where this technology has high potential here.