Traditional methods of mixing in liquid food production often encounter problems with air entrapment and foaming, resulting in lost product. Foaming alone is estimated to cost approximately €276,400 annually in typical food and beverage production scenarios,[1] making this mixer an important technological evolution for F&B manufacturers aiming to reduce their total cost of ownership, boost margins and improve product quality.

The Tetra Pak Industrial Protein Mixer introduces a pioneering approach to mixing protein powders, which are a high value raw material. The new mixer combats foaming through a sophisticated design and multi-step process that includes reducing air ingress and employing advanced automation to optimise the mixing procedure. The result is a mixing process that is foam-free, which both minimises product loss and streamlines downstream processes, resulting in less downtime due to cleaning and equipment maintenance.  Foaming also causes oxidation, which decreases shelf life and is often combatted by the addition of de-foaming agents like silicon oil. These additives are not needed with the Tetra Pak Industrial Protein Mixer, leading to a product with fewer additives, reduced nutrient oxidation, and longer shelf life.

With 70% of consumers confirming that health has become more important for them over the last few years[2] , and the global market for active nutrition products expected to reach €80 billion by 2030,[3] protein-enriched food products, including powders, represent a growing market. The Tetra Pak Industrial Protein Mixer is poised to help F&B manufacturers make the most of this lucrative product category, catering to both current demands and emerging opportunities.

From whey powders to plant-based and fermentation-derived proteins, the mixer can be deployed across a broad spectrum of industrial applications. Furthermore, its capacity to manage production ranging from small trial batches to large-scale outputs of up to 50,000 litres per hour ensures both adaptability and efficiency.

Fiona Liebehenz, vice president key components, plant solutions and channel management at Tetra Pak, comments: “This progressive new Tetra Pak Industrial Product Mixer was the result of a customer approaching us with serious foaming issues at their factory, disrupting production and compromising product quality. After promising initial tests in mitigating this issue, our highly skilled team in Denmark continued to refine our approach through meticulous and lengthy testing. The end result is a mixer with multiple relevant new features and a five-step process that together eliminates the root causes of foaming, reduces product loss, and solves the customer’s challenge. It has exceeded expectations by far, leading to an immediate order from the customer.”

She continues: “This is just one example of our commitment to taking care of the immediate needs of our customers, not only solving the problem at hand but creating a solution to improve future productivity and profitability. By working in this way, we support manufacturers to capitalise on a multitude of opportunities for continued growth based on exceeding expectations of their own consumers and tapping into new markets.”

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The chain released the Island Berry Freeze that uses a shelf-stable creamer created by dairy checkoff scientists. It is Taco Bell’s third beverage launch featuring the dairy creamer, beginning with the Pineapple Whip Freeze in May of 2020 and the Mountain Dew Baja Blast Colada Freeze last May.

The Island Berry Freeze features a bit of a twist from its predecessors with a creamer infused with a tropical flavour. This Freeze, offered in blue raspberry or wild strawberry flavours, is available at participating U.S. Taco Bell restaurants from 12 March.

“After the initial success of the Pineapple Whip, it just made sense to build off of that momentum and continue offering beverages that bring a lot of excitement to Taco Bell’s line-up,” said Mike Ciresi, a Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) senior dairy scientist who works with Taco Bell. “Taco Bell is all about bold, exciting flavours, especially with its beverages, and we believe the Island Berry Freeze has a flavour that pops and will hit the mark with consumers.”

Another popular Taco Bell item – the Grilled Cheese Burrito – is back on the menu. The burrito features a blend of mozzarella, cheddar and pepper jack cheeses in addition to reduced-fat sour cream, seasoned beef, rice, crunchy red strips and chipotle sauce. A layer of cheese is then grilled around the tortilla to offer a special experience for cheese lovers.

The burrito launched in the summer of 2020 and re-entered Taco Bell’s menu last autumn with a double steak option. This time, the original version is back for a limited time, which Ciresi expects will be a hit with consumers.

“The Grilled Cheese Burrito continues to do so well,” Ciresi said. “I am excited it’s back on the menu, and I’m sure Taco Bell fans are as well.”

Heather Mottershaw, vice president of pipeline innovation and product development for Taco Bell, reiterated how popular these dairy-centric items are with customers.

“We understand how much dairy enhances our menu in terms of innovation and flavour and it’s supported by the response we get from our customers,” Mottershaw said. “We’re grateful to have checkoff scientists working side-by-side with our team to continue pushing the envelope with items featuring dairy.”

While sales results of products created with checkoff support are proprietary, Emily Bourdet, vice president of global innovation partnerships for DMI, said the results of all checkoff partners, including at Taco Bell, are making a difference. She said there have been 2 billion pounds of milk equivalent growth overall since the start of the partnerships work, and each partner averages about 3% annual growth in dairy volume.

“In Taco Bell’s case, it’s the innovation that leads to success,” Bourdet said. “From the beginning of the partnership to today, our on-site scientists at Taco Bell have changed the game for how to incorporate dairy and create excitement for Taco Bell fans.”

For information about the dairy checkoff, visit www.usdairy.com.

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