Electricity and Control April 2020

MEASUREMENT + INSTRUMENTATION : PRODUCTS + SERVICES

Thermal profiling in food processing Not all food processes are equal. Each process has its own challenges in terms of space, duration and the process itself (which may entail steam, submersion in water or oil, or other methods or media). Potential risks to public health place the food processing industry firmly under the public spotlight. The effects of getting the cooking and freezing processes wrong can be disastrous for a business and its customers. The Datapaq® Food Tracker® System, available from R&C Instrumentation, comprises Insight™ software, a data logger, a selection of protective thermal barriers and thermocouples, and offers an accurate and reliable means of measuring product and environmental temperatures. This is an essential requirement for HACCP (hazard analysis and critical control points) in terms of data analysis, regulations and process validation. The food industry is subject to very tight controls and a decrease of only one or two degrees can significantly affect product quality. The Food Tracker System can include enhancements, such as humidity measurement, food tray and thermocouple jig, as well as the TM21 radio telemetry system for real-time temperature monitoring. The most frequent food processing applications for

deep fat frying of small portion poultry products, such as chicken nuggets. For meat processing, Datapaq thermal profiling systems can be used in processing salami, bologna, sausage and ham in cooking, curing, smoking and chilling ready to eat meat products and can provide exact process temperature verification on various processes. Similarly in seafood processing, Datapaq systems can be used to monitor temperatures in the cooking, blanching, chilling and freezing of fish, shellfish and processed products. Temperature profiling systems are also used in commercial baking in the production of bread loaves, rolls and pizza dough, as well as biscuits, crackers, pastries, cakes and tarts. These are typically produced in linear continuous conveyor ovens or static batch ovens. Datapaq systems can be used to monitor pasteurisation and sterilisation processes which serve to improve the safety and quality of food products and extend their shelf life. Thermal profiling is used, for example, in the pasteurisation and sterilisation of filled beer bottles, as well as beverages produced in conveyor-driven raining hot water and steam pasteurisation lines, and in the retort sterilisation of food products packaged in pouches, glass jars or cans. Considering other foods where accurate temperature profiling systems are crucial, these include pasta and rice products, during the cooking and drying cycles; the drying and roasting of nuts; and the blanching, steaming, roasting, chilling or freezing of vegetables. R&C Instrumentation assists its customers in determining which Datapaq thermal profiling solution is most appropriate to the given product and process.

Datapaq ther- mal profiling systems are widely used in the food processing industry to ensure product quality and safety.

Datapaq temperature profiling systems include processing of poultry, meat, seafood and other foods, as well as baking and pasteurisation & sterilisation. In poultry processing, Datapaq systems are used in cooking, chilling and freezing chicken and poultry products in various applications including roasting/baking/steaming in different types of ovens and

For more information contact R&C Instrumentation Tel: +27 (0)11 608 1551, email: info@randci.co.za

Photoelectric measuring sensors for the food industry ifm electronic ZA supplies photoelectric sensors – known as OG cubes – that are designed to meet the usually tightly limited space available in food production processes as well as providing high protection ratings of IP 68 / 69K. The space-saving design with lateral M18 thread and connector pointing down is a suitable solution for all requirements in hygienic and wet areas. The sensors have a high-grade stainless steel housing with food- grade sealing material, shatter-proof plastic lenses and high protection rating, which support process reliability and enable the sensors to withstand aggressive cleaning agents and high-pressure cleaning.

IO-Link and, similar to analogue sensors, the distance value is provided to the nearest millimetre. All versions feature various setting options, such as light-on/dark-on mode or switch-on and switch-off delay, for a fast set-up.

For more information contact ifm electronic. Tel: +27 (0)12 450 0400 email: info.za@ifm.com

The compact OG cube photoelectric sensors provide for continuous distance measurement in processing industries where reliability and hygiene are critical factors.

The new OG cubes, available as diffuse reflection and through-beam sensors, provide for continuous distance measurement via IO-Link. For the diffuse reflection sensors with background suppression, the ranges can be set via

20 Electricity + Control APRIL 2020