Food Manufacturer Reduces Product Wastage Within The Cha-Cha Process Line By 20%
Russell Finex helps Mondelez International to improve their production process by recovering caramel, a high viscosity product to be filtered at a high temperature.
Mondelez International, one of the largest companies in the cookie and biscuit industry, sought to optimise the production process of one of its well-known brands and looked to existing sieving and filtration supplier Russell Finex to provide a solution. The company initially operating under the name LU joined Kraft Foods in 2007 and is now known as Mondelez.
One of the company’s factories in Herentals, Belgium has been in operation since 1960 and produces brands such as Pims, Prince, TUC and Cha-Cha. The Cha-Cha chocolate bar has been around for 50 years and is a thin crunchy wafer covered with caramel and Belgian chocolate, one of the most well known chocolate bars in Belgium. The company experienced product wastage with the manufacturing of this chocolate bar, and wanted to improve production efficiencies. Having already been supplied seven Russell Compact Sieves® for the check screening of flour, the company counted on Russell Finex’s expertise to solve this new filtration problem.
The production process begins with baking a thin crispy wafer and coating it with caramel. The wafer is then laid to rest for 24 hours. After this, several wafers are pressed together, cut to size and covered with chocolate. When the wafer is covered with caramel, wafer crumbs get into the excess caramel, making it non re-usable. Hence, caramel is wasted at this point of the production process. Alex Pardon, Continuous Improvement Facilitator at Mondelez International, explains: “We sought a solution to recover the wasted caramel in order to reduce the product loss and improve the production process. We required a machine which could filter a high viscosity paste, at a high temperature in order to keep the caramel in liquid form for it to be reclaimed for reuse.”
Russell Finex offered to test their Self-Cleaning Russell Eco Filter® at the Mondelez site. The results of the tests were very positive with the filter keeping the high viscose caramel in a liquid state by filtering at a temperature of 35°C. The unit separated the wafer crumbs from the caramel. The results of the tests were positive, and the Mondelez group then needed to ensure that the taste of the chocolate bar met their quality standards. A special taste test found no difference in quality between a bar with or without the reclaimed caramel and as a result Mondelez decided to install one Self-Cleaning Russell Eco Filter®.
The installation of the Self-Cleaning Russell Eco Filter resulted in a 20% reduction in product loss and improved the waste disposal process. Pardon explains: “Before the filter was installed the product needed to be manually disposed of by employees. This routine has now become unnecessary,. The filter also provided further benefits. Due to its unique self-cleaning SpiroKlene™ wiper system and replaceable stainless steel filter element, there is minimal operator involvement and no need to replace filter elements, resulting in substantial cost savings. The unit is also easy to strip down and clean, reducing production downtime.
Pardon concludes: “The Self-Cleaning Russell Eco Filter® is not only able to filter high viscosity pastes whilst keeping the product in a liquid state, but is also easy to maintain. With the added benefit of not needing to replace the filter media, this has been the filter we have been searching for. We would certainly recommend the Russell Eco Filter to producers of high viscosity liquids”.
– High temperature filtration has resulted in a 20% reduction in product loss
– Greater reclaim has helped to improve the waste disposal process
– Significant cost savings with reusable stainless steel filter element
Russell Finex Ltd
Global sieving & filtration specialists
Tel: +44 (0)20-8818-2058
Fax: +44 (0)20-8818-2060
Website: www.russellfinex.com
Russell Finex
- 0207 442 5579
- admin@russellfinex.com
- http://www.russellfinex.com
- Russell House, Browells Lane, Feltham, Middlesex, TW13 7EW GB
About us
Russell Finex is a worldwide leader in fine mesh separation technology, designing and manufacturing vibratory sieves, separators, ultrasonic mesh deblinding systems and liquid filters.
With a wealth of experience Russell Finex strives to improve the product quality and productivity of companies processing liquids and powders. Our easily operable machines are simple to clean and provide excellent health and safety features to protect operators. All equipment is manufactured in an ISO: 9001 recognised environment and is authorised for use in areas regulated by the latest European ATEX legislation.
Our products are supplied to over 140 countries to a range of processing industries. Our state-of-the-art testing facilities at our UK, Belgium, USA and India offices allow customers to test their product on our machines prior to purchase, giving them total peace of mind that the recommended solution will solve their processing problems. Furthermore our products can be customised to suit each company’s individual requirements.
Where we supply to
UK Ireland, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, South America, North America
Industries we supply to
Automation, Chemicals, Consultants, Components Electronics, Energy and Power, Food and Beverage, Glass Ceramics Cement, Metals and Minerals, OEM, Paper and Pulp, Pharmaceutical Cosmetics Toiletries, Plastics and Rubber, Recycling, Textiles, Tobacco, Water and Wastewater
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Separating curd from whey - Liquid Solid Separator™
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Vibratory Screener - Russell Compact Sieve®
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Cost-effective manufacturing in the additive manufacturing industry
