Licorice cooling tunnel
Licorice and other extruded food products like vegan meats can be tricky to cool in the production process, especially with hygiene in mind, because they have a high heat and moisture content. These products can be sticky and have a tendency to stick to the machine belts, leaving behind residue. As a manufacturer of these products, you don’t want to stop the line and clean the belts during the run.
Removing heat and moisture with dehumidified air
The MCE TurboFlow cooling tunnel from Mattoc Confectionery Engineering is designed to cool and remove moisture from food products like licorice, bread and vegan meat. To save space and capital equipment cost, it is important to cool the product quickly. It is also necessary to remove moisture to stabilise the product, making it easier to process and to give it a longer shelf life. This stainless steel machine hygienically removes both heat and moisture that evaporates from the products by using cool and dehumidified turbulent air and – if necessary – a contact belt that cools through water tables. During the cooling process, the confectionery product is placed on a belt which passes through a tunnel where there are air jets to impinge on the products with a max airspeed of 20 m/sec, subject to the product. The warm air and moisture from the product rises to the top of the tunnel from where it is extracted, reconditioned and reused. Liquorice needs between 5 and 10 minutes to cool. The cooling tunnel makes use of sloped surfaces so as not to collect water and prevent moulding of the products.
The machine is available with modular plastic belts, wire belts or the more traditional woven flexible belts, suited for specific demands. The machine line is available in production widths of 400, 800, 1,200 and 1,600 mm and a length that is matched to the production line speed and the product heat load. The cooling tunnel can be added to a full process line. The machine can be washed down inside and out as all surfaces are self-draining.
Benefits
- High capacity heat and moisture removal
- Full stainless steel design
- Easy to clean
- Non-horizontal surfaces