Tecno Alimentaria Valenciana: The Secrets of Flavouring Snacks

The snacks are flavoured according to the customer’s needs, the chosen product and the type of aroma. 

Technically, it is more correct to add the flavour when the product is fried or baked, while its surface is still slightly moist, this way the aromatized powder adheres better. 

Flavouring at the beginning of the line 

Working in such a manner that the aroma is introduced at the outset of the process results in permeating the entire line with the chosen aroma type, rendering it impractical to swiftly alter aromas or concurrently handle multiple aromas. 

In addition, during its distribution way to packaging, the product loses its aroma. This means that it is necessary to add more flavor to get a product with the right amount of aroma. 

For instance, it affects the set amounts of salt limits as there is a loss of precision in the final result. 

To avoid such problems, its important to standardize the flavoring process so that the snack meets the necessary characteristics. Internal analysis laboratories control the quality and traceability of the product. 

How to achieve maximum cost/quality efficiency in the flavoring process of snacks?

When the snack seasoning process is arranged in such way that the aroma is added at the end of the process line, TAV can have several packaging points. 

This allows the company to work with different types of aroma at the same time with no need to clean the whole installation every time. It is only necessary to clean the last piece of equipment, which saves time and water wasted. 

In this way, you can have several packaging points working with a single product and different aromas, obtaining different types of snacks at the same time. 

These are the benefits of adding the aroma at the end of the convey line and just before packaging:

• Production optimization.
• Cost savings (less waste of seasoning)
• Savings in cleaning times.
• Time savings in format and product changes.
• Amount of water spent on cleaning
• Possibility of packaging various types of flavored product at the same time.
• The elevating equipment is not stained with the aromas of the product. Because TAV knows that these equipments are the most complicated to clean due to their characteristics.

Differences by types of Snacks

There are certain types of products (such as extruded snacks) that due to their characteristics require the addition of aroma when the product is hot. 

In this way, Tecno Alimentaria Valenciana recommends placing the aromatization equipment at the beginning of the line, just after exiting the oven. On the other hand, with fried snacks, pellets and potato chips it is not necessary to add flavor immediately when it comes out of the fryer. 

Our technical team always analyzes each case and the client’s requests, in order to offer the best solution and obtain the desired product with the least possible waste. 

Tailoring recommendations to the client's needs involves suggesting machinery models that best suit their requirements, spanning from the initial processing of products to the final packaging phase. 

Success case – Flavoring of extruded snacks

For extruded snacks that need to add the aroma together with the oil, TAV has a machine called Slurry that is used to mix the oil with solid aroma. 

In this type of process, the solid aroma does not dissolve in the oil, and it is necessary to continuously mix it so that the solid aroma does not settle out. In this way, the manufacturer obtains a homogeneous coverage.

Customized analysis

To offer the best solution to their clients, TAV prepares a personalized study based on the production quantities, production process and packaging needs. 

Through this approach, the process undergoes thorough analysis, enabling us to provide optimal solutions for achieving high-quality products while minimizing waste. Additionally, Tecno Alimentaria Valenciana facilities include a clean room where customers can conduct tests using their equipment to evaluate their products prior to making a purchase.

Leveraging the findings of these tests, TAV offers recommendations on the required machinery to streamline the entire production process. This includes recommendations tailored to frying or extrusion needs, as well as those pertaining to optical selection, factoring in considerations such as lung capacity, distribution, and packaging points.