Essential Equipment for Food and Beverage Processing
Every manufacturing facility requires an arsenal of equipment, but facilities that handle food and beverage products have specific needs. In order to have a successful food and beverage processing facility, you must ensure you’re using modern equipment that meets FDA regulations. Having the right equipment will not only ensure great products but also safety and sanitization. If you’d like to learn some of the essential equipment for food and beverage processing, read our guide below.
Preparation Equipment
Before you can begin making food and beverage products, you’ll need to prepare the initial raw materials. Preparation equipment includes automated cleaning, peeling and skinning, and sorting machines. Additionally, every food processing plant needs magnetic separators to assist workers with separating ferrous particles that could contaminate products.
Processing Equipment
As you might suspect, processing machinery is the equipment you likely think of when you picture a food and beverage manufacturing facility. Processing equipment encompasses a large number of machines, so your facility might need all of the pieces or only some of them. Some of the most common processing equipment includes slicing machines, emulsifiers, fluid and dough mixers, and rotating drums.
Conservation Equipment
Whether you make perishable goods or not, you’ll need to preserve finished products and raw materials as long as possible. Most food-processing facilities will need walk-in refrigerators and freezers as well as additional equipment. Conservation equipment also includes vacuum dryers, evaporators, irradiators, and plenty of salt for meat preservation.
Packaging and Sealing Equipment
Finally, when the product goes through the manufacturing phase, you’ll need to complete the process with packaging. To reiterate, some food-processing facilities won’t need all the following machines, but others will. Most facilities will have a labeling machine, volumetric fillers, seaming machines, scales, and various shipping materials. Of course, you’ll want to ensure you have enough packaging at all times, so it will be in your best interest to invest in an inventory system as well.
The essential equipment for most food and beverage processing varies by facility. While the equipment is vital to your business, the material your equipment is made from is equally important. All your equipment will profit from the benefits of stainless steel.
