Whether you’ve been in the food manufacturing industry for decades or you’re just beginning, there’s quite the learning curve involved with managing a facility. Not only do you need to manage people (which is arguably the hardest part), you also need to supply your facility with adequate equipment. We can’t help you with the people part, but we can help you identify the essential equipment for food processing facilities. If you’d like to learn more, we’ve got you covered in our guide below.
Preparation machinery
Most food processing facilities have a section that prepares the product, and your facility will likely have one too. Depending on the products you’re handling, your facility may need to clean products first, in which case you’ll need magnet separators, floatation tanks, and sterilizers. Once the product is clean, you’ll proceed to preparation. Moreover, many facilities have pressure or impact mills, or slicing machines to break the product down into smaller pieces. Additionally, facilities that handle baked goods will have paddle mixers and heating ovens. Furthermore, some facilities may require fryers, vacuum dryers, and steam blanchers. Again, the equipment varies entirely based on the goods the facility handles.
Various packaging
Once the product is clean, cooked, or mixed, you’ll need to package the product prior to shipping it out to its next destination. That said, your facility will need a wide array of packaging materials including boxes, bags, plastic and glass bottles, and plastic clamshell containers. While you could have workers fill the packaging manually, it’s not nearly as efficient as an automated system. No food processing facility is complete without volumetric fillers, seamers, and form-fill-seal systems. Don’t forget to complete the packaging with an automated labeling machine.
Sanitary equipment
Regardless of how efficient your equipment is, it’s all in vain if your facility isn’t packed with sanitary equipment. In addition to the sanitization equipment previously mentioned for preparing products, your facility needs stainless steel sanitary tubing and fittings. Without food-grade equipment, your business won’t meet FDA or USDA requirements––in fact, you’re practically begging them to shut you down indefinitely. As you can see, the essential equipment for food processing facilities depends almost entirely on the products your facility handles. That said, there’s some overlap in equipment as well. Every food processing plant needs equipment that meets or exceeds FDA and USDA regulations. You wouldn’t want your food made with equipment that isn’t food-grade, and nobody else does either.
