How to control the cost of mayonnaise and cold emulsion
In-depth research into the challenges of producing mayonnaises, sauces, dips and dressings has given Tetra Pak valuable insights into where the opportunities are to attack costs and make savings. First, we look at operational costs like ingredients, labour and utilities. Then, we consider ongoing equipment costs like maintenance, spare parts and unplanned stops.
1. Ingredients
The ingredients you use are at the heart of your production, so it is vital that they are used efficiently to achieve your desired product quality and make the most of their functionality.
Consistent quality
Maintaining consistent quality is key. A rejected batch incurs the total loss of its ingredients, and suffers all the costs of lost production time, additional cleaning and knock-on effects downstream. Minimize the chances of a rejected batch by adopting a process that gives you full control of your production parameters and ensures that your ingredients and product are treated consistently every step of the way.
Optimal mixing
Your ingredients and equipment must work harmoniously together. For example, building up texture using oil and eggs to make a full-fat mayonnaise without over-shearing during the mixing process. Or improving the functionality and yield of thickeners and stabilisers when mixing them into sauce product. The most cost-effective processing systems combine shear force and mixing time precisely to deliver consistent quality with minimal ingredients waste.
Avoid bottlenecks in your production
You can probably identify a number of bottlenecks in your production. One commonly encountered is the slow intake of ingredients into the process, which for cold emulsions is often the addition of oil. A two-step emulsion process will accelerate your ingredient intake rates with no risk to product quality, and will consequently accelerate your entire production cycle .
Smart equipment design
Equipment can be designed thoughtfully to minimize losses and make it easier to clean at the end of a production run or in preparation for a recipe change. Simple measures such as short pipes, smart production planning and ingredient handling reduces the losses and makes the production more efficient.
2. Labour
The more your equipment is automated, the higher your savings on labour during processing. And with less to learn, operator training is simpler and quicker, which makes it easier for you to develop the flexible workforce that modern manufacturing demands.
3. Utilities
The speed and efficiency of advanced equipment minimize your use of utilities like water and energy. This applies equally to production and cleaning. Equipment with well thought-out CIP cycles will save you time as well as money.
4. Ongoing equipment costs
Profit drains away during unforeseen breakdowns. These can be minimized with a systematic preventive maintenance program, which cuts downtime and lets you plan equipment services in advance. You can also cut parts inventories and reduce the work of maintenance staff by using one kind of equipment instead of several. When you operate in rented premises, fewer machines and/or equipment with a small footprint are an advantage since every square metre adds to your costs.
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