Published on
October 26, 2023
By
Nick Halliday
In large-scale food production, being precise and keeping things clean has always been incredibly important. And yet, the first few months of 2023 paint a concerning picture: there’s been a significant spike in recalls of food and beverages in the US. The leading causes? Foreign materials, bacterial contamination, misbranding, undeclared allergens, and packaging defects.
Senior Vice President of Brand Protection at Sedgwick, Chris Harvey, explains why food manufacturers need to start investing more energy into health and safety practices:
“As the number of recall events increases across industries, the risks to manufacturers grow more serious, with increased regulatory enforcement and a more publicized recall process,” Harvey says. “Regulators are working to prioritize product safety while balancing innovation with oversight – meaning manufacturers can expect to contend with new rules and regulations. Businesses will need to remain agile to keep pace with these changes and prepare for future ones.”
It’s a reminder that having top-of-the-line, easy-to-clean machinery isn’t merely a time and money saver – it’s a necessity.
Properly cleaning some chocolate and bar machines means solving a complex puzzle. Difficult to disassemble and even harder to put back together, these inefficiencies put manufacturers at risk of poor cleaning habits and contamination. Fortunately, PTL has created a solution.
With PTL, you can make great chocolate and snack bars without getting bogged down with complicated machinery. Every piece of equipment is ingeniously designed for accessibility, so no corner is ever left uncleaned. The simplicity led to a shift in the industry. PTL showed that chocolate and snack bar manufacturing can facilitate good hygiene and save both time and resources.
Take our cooling tunnels, for example. They keep the chocolate at just the right temperature, but unlike standard tunnels, they have components and surfaces that can be quickly and thoroughly cleaned. Or the enrober, which boasts removable parts that are easily accessed and reassembled. This means less time spent on disassembly and more time dedicated to better hygiene practices and making the products. PTL’s melter also has removable components which facilitate easy and thorough washing. That means it’s always in prime condition for melting diverse ingredients, free from contamination.
PTL machinery prioritizes simple cleaning, contributing to a more efficient and hygienic production environment.
Making great chocolate and snack bars is an art – it’s not just about crafting them hygienically. Our logic: simplify the whole process, reduce cleaning time and have more time to focus on overall product quality. It transforms how chocolate and snack bars are made, with tangible benefits rippling through the industry. The manufacturers who’ve embraced the simplicity can attest:
Tru Food saw a major leap forward in operational efficiency. It could allocate more time and resources towards refining its products, leading to a surge in overall productivity.
“As a co-manufacturer, we need to be flexible enough to meet a variety of customers’ requirements. The PTL melter allows us to do just that,” explains Mike Berko, project manager at TruFood.
Joy Cone was starting a new product line – its famous cones would now come dipped in chocolate. It was Joy Cone’s first time using chocolate, and with a reputation for high-quality products, it needed the change to go smoothly. PTL came highly recommended.
“We decided to invest in a melter and an enrober. And thanks to PTL’s innovative designs, we could produce a new item and add value to products going forward,” said Jeff Hull, Director of R&D.
In need of an equipment manufacturer to support its growing capacity, Hearthside Foods decided to invest in PTL machinery. The new level of efficiency meant a major competitive advantage.
“By getting PTL machinery first, we were ahead of the game,” says Fred Grep, Director of Engineering.
PTL machinery skillfully marries cutting-edge technology with time-honored techniques, propelling the industry forward. But recent breakthroughs in chocolate production technology, outlined by Mars, are set to redefine the landscape even further. From advanced automation systems to precision-engineered machinery, every facet of the manufacturing process will soon be easier.
PTL aims to seamlessly integrate these advancements, so manufacturers stay at the cutting edge of chocolate and bar production. And by future-proofing your operations with PTL machinery, you can also keep up with the quality and safety standards of the industry.
The surge in recalls is an eye-opener for the food industry. PTL machinery's innovative approach to hygiene and efficiency addresses current challenges and paves the way for a future where food production is safer, more efficient, and of higher quality than ever before. With PTL, it's not just about making great chocolate — it's about making it right.
Want to embrace the future with hygienic, efficient, and crafted solutions? Contact PTL today.
