Mayonnaise and seasoned ketchup have many uses, for example, for sandwiches, salads, French fries, or as an ingredient in other foods. Gerstenberg Schroder (GS) offers advanced processing equipment for the continuous production and batch production of mayonnaise and ketchup, as well as the ERS continuous emulsification system and the EBS batch emulsification system. This article will describe the EBS batch emulsification system.
Mayonnaise is a water-in-oil emulsion. The ingredients used in mayonnaise can be divided into several phases:
1) An oil phase containing only oil.
2) A related substance containing only eggs, such as whole eggs, egg yolks or a mixture of egg phases.
3) A vinegar phase which may contain vinegar, spices and other flavorings. This vinegar phase can also act as a propping agent to prevent microbial decay and aging. The ideal pH of the finished mayonnaise is 3.5~4.
4) An aqueous phase which may comprise water, cold or hot swollen starch, stabilizers, perfumes and preservatives. The latter combines with low pH to achieve long shelf life.
In order to obtain the most stable mayonnaise, it is desirable to have small and uniform oil droplets. The size of the oil droplets should be between 2 and 8 μm. This is achieved by mechanical treatment of a high shear mixer. No matter what production method, such as continuous production or batch production, higher oil content and finer oil droplet distribution, the higher viscosity of mayonnaise is formed.
Seasoning ketchup ingredients can be divided into several phases:
1) Tomato sauce.
2) A vinegar phase which may contain vinegar, spices and other flavorings. This vinegar phase also acts as a preservative to prevent microbial spoilage. The ideal pH is 3.5 to 4 because the preservative is more effective when pH < 4, resulting in a longer shelf life.
3) An aqueous phase comprising water, starch, preservatives and flavorings.
No matter what production method is used - continuous production or batch production, high mechanization is necessary in order to obtain a stable seasoning ketchup.
Batch production
Weigh all ingredients before batch production. At the heart of the EBS line is a mixing tank, and the ingredients are added to the mixing tank from below in a specific order (see Figure 1 for the EBS process principle).
Figure 1, EBS process principle
For mayonnaise, the aqueous phase can be added first, usually consisting of water, stabilizers and perfumes. For low fat mayonnaise with hot swollen starch, it is heated first and then cooled. Eggs are added and the mixture is circulated with a high shear mixer mounted on the bottom of the tank while the oil is slowly added until the desired amount of oil and viscosity is obtained. After adding vinegar to adjust the pH, prepare the product for filling. Figure 2 depicts the production process for preparing mayonnaise using a separate water/starch phase.
Figure 2. Production process of mayonnaise using a separate water/starch phase
For higher hourly throughput, cold swollen starch is recommended due to shorter batch production times.
For seasoned ketchup, the aqueous phase can be added first, usually consisting of salt, sugar and stabilizer; then the vinegar phase is added and the mixture is mixed thoroughly with a special high shear mixer mounted on the bottom of the tank to mix well while slowly adding ketchup After mixing, the product is heated for a certain period of time. The temperature profile depends on the ingredients used. In order to avoid a large number of heat-resistant microorganisms in the product, it is recommended to heat the product to 100 ° C for 8 minutes. The final viscosity of the product depends on the formulation and heat treatment.
EBS can be combined with any new or existing production line, and the control panel can be selected from manual or automatic control panels. The vacuum function in the intermediate tank ensures that there is no air in the final product.
The GS batch processing system guarantees stable emulsification and short production times. The device is suitable for hot and cold working. A thermal process is required when using hot swollen starch to produce low fat mayonnaise.
Due to the minimal product volume and short cleaning times in batch emulsification systems (EBS), GS batch production enables low production waste and rapid conversion from one formulation to another.
Other advantages of EBS
1) Hygienic and sturdy design: meet the requirements of the food industry, with the smallest footprint;
2) Indirect heat treatment: used for hot processing when producing hot fat swelled starch with low-fat mayonnaise;
3) Vacuum production: there is no air in the finished product;
4) Easy to operate: Equipment with control panel is easy to operate;
5) High shear mixer: shorter production time;
6) Cost savings: The least amount of production waste compared to continuous production.