FLAVOURING

Fried snacks are flavoured according to consumer tastes and the type of pellet to be used. From the technical point of view, it is necessary that flavouring be made immediately after the frying process, so that the absorption of the oil in the surface is completed.

FLAVOURING SYSTEM
A good flavouring system should grant:

• a uniform distribution of snack seasoning, avoiding the forming of lumps;
• reduced quantity of flavour wasted;
• gentle handling of snacks.

Dispersion of the seasoning is generally made by means of a flavouring drum, where pellets are put into and are continuously overturned due the rotation of the drum. The flavour is sprayed on the pellet in order to avoid the forming of lumps. A system used recently is the electrostatic drum, by means of which flavour powder and the fried pellet get fed with the oppostite electrostatic values, in order to cause reciprocal attraction.

In the case of Hot-air expansion or “Puffing press” technology, it is necessary to spray first the oil and then the flavour on the pellets; as a consequence, the total oil content is normally kept under 10%.

Before passing to the packaging phase, the flavoured snack must rest for a few minutes, so as to become less oily and its tendency to oil the internal surface of the bag is reduced. Sometimes, there are pauses of the bag-maker, so it is necessary to add a by-pass phase between flavouring and packaging, in which the snacks are temporarily accumulated.