Although most nut suppliers have contractual agreements with manufacturers that the product must comply with food safety, it is common that this condition is not met. In countries where nuts are grown, hygiene is often not sufficiently prioritized. What then do you do with a truck that has already arrived at the site and there is a risk that some of the goods may not pass laboratory tests?

What we’ve been dealing with

All imported nuts and dried fruits must undergo strict microbiological inspections after importation. The customer, the importer of these goods, wished to have the possibility to sterilize such a product quickly, efficiently and safely, avoiding any possible destruction or failure to comply with the prescribed standards. We came up with a solution that not only fulfilled his specifications, but also helped the taste of the final product.

What solution we have chosen

The customer’s basic requirement was a wide range of products that could be sterilized using the technology. The equipment was supposed to be able to work with products of sesame seeds size, but also be applicable to peanuts, almonds and the like. We have therefore chosen a unique concept of microwave drum, which not only manages to cope with similar products, but also reduces environmental dust and the risk of products falling off the conveyor belt.

The machine is equipped with an automatic product weighing and dispensing system. At the same time, the drum itself is also constantly weighted, so the equipment automatically recognizes what power needs to be radiated into the material. The only thing that needs to be adjusted is the corresponding recipe, as each product has its own angle of repose, which the necessary drum inclination depends on.

The benefits include:

• A fast process that ensures the preservation of the product form and its nutritional values
• Microwave heating improves the taste of processed products
• Full automation of operations and reduction of personnel costs
• Lower consumption of electricity

The outcome

The microwave equipment was supplied in 2018 and it has quickly become one of the most important machines in the plant running in three-shift operation most of the time. In addition to sterilization, the customer also uses it for drying, roasting and enzymatic inactivation. Since the installation of the equipment, the customer has had no problem with microbiological tests on import, and the buyers themselves have been happy about a stronger taste of the nuts themselves.

Not only nuts can be treated using microwave technology. Read about other foods that can be treated here.