Amica Chips installs Elea PEF systems for yield and quality improvement

Amica SpA is a potato chips manufacturer based in Cistglioni delle Stivere, Italy. The company has been founded in 1990 by Alfredo Moratti and Andrea Romano and since then has grown to be a leader in the potato chips market with more than 250 employees and product export into more than 20 countries.

Elea is the leading supplier of PEF systems for the food industry located in Quakenbrueck, Germany. PEF is applied for texture management of potato tubers and brings dramatic improvements to potato chips processing. The technology is based on creating pores in the tubers, which result in a softer, more flexible material easier to cut and to process.
 

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Fry the perfect chip with Elea PEF: video highlighting the benefits of Pulsed Electric Field treatment in potato chip production

Early 2020 Elea and Amica have started their cooperation with a trial installation on an industrial scale line. The tests have shown improved PEF benefits such as improved slicing and cut consistency and the potential to reduce heat load during frying.

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Enhanced cutting translates into less breakage and fines and a lower amount of starch losses into processing water. A reduced frying time and temperature allows a lighter product quality and an increased production capacity. Product quality is improved, as a smoother slice surfaces causes less oil uptake, a better seasoning adhesion and a crunchier product.

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After successful testing in Autumn 2020 the fourth Elea PEF Advantage B 1 system has been installed at Amica Chips. The units have a capacity of up to 6 t/h of tuber processing.

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System installation and commissioning has shown to be fast and simple, under current pandemic situation remote and on-site tools have been used by the engineering and applications teams of Elea and Amica.

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Testimonial of Franck Bianchi, plant manager at Amica Chips regarding the installation of an Elea PEF Advantage Belt system into their potato chips production line (Added to this article on March 7, 2021)