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 company says its new 500 litre GEA BATCH FORMULA PRO High Shear Test Mixer is an attractive option for customers who want to implement their own product tests before scaling up to full production. Previously, GEA had installed an Aseptic Filling Pilot Plant in Ahaus to simulate the process steps for customers, from formulation to filling, now also with a bottle filler.

Customers can use the GEA Test Center for Aseptic Processing & Filling to trial product developments and process sequences before integrating them into their own production lines. Each year, more than 100 tests are conducted. The focus is on aseptic technologies that ensure long-term product shelf life and food safety, especially for dairy products. In recent years, Ahaus has also expanded its testing options and capacities to serve other promising markets. Beverage manufacturers are increasingly coming up with highly complex product requirements regarding ready-to-drink teas and plant-based beverages for which there are still no standard solutions.

Ulrich Rolle, head of Product Development Hygienic Processing at GEA in Ahaus, explains how the pilot studies work: “We not only define processes and technology parameters but even specify recipe details. Customers are provided with reproducible results that they can then implement in production.” Right from the outset, GEA experts take an interdisciplinary approach to optimizing process efficiency. Working hand in hand with customers considerably speeds up the time to market. “Most importantly, customers can feel confident they are making the right investment since they have personally tested and validated the processes. Our expertise and commitment make a compelling case for GEA as the partner of choice.”

GEA BATCH FORMULA PRO High Shear Mixer 500L

With the new BATCH FORMULA PRO High Shear Test Mixer, GEA believes it is already preparing today’s customers for tomorrow’s mixing processes. It optimises mixing and processing times for products with varying viscosities, such as mayonnaise, dressings, sauces, beverages, dairy as well as home and personal care products. The multifunctional unit employs an efficient vacuum system to introduce powder below the liquid’s surface. This results in a uniform and homogeneous product. To create a stable, even product consistency, oil is introduced directly into the mixing device where it is instantly emulsified. This one-pot design shortens process time, saves energy, and consequently also increases manufacturing profitability. For example, a variety of spreads can be heated up to 140ºC and immediately cooled down again. Thanks to an integrated control system which creates and monitors recipes, customers can keep closer tabs on the initial investment. In addition to the GEA BATCH FORMULA PRO technology, the test centre also includes an INLINE FORMULA SOL Test Mixer that allows customers to simulate an inline process, including big and small powder bag emptying stations.

The GEA Aseptic Filling Pilot Plant is the second new unit at the Ahaus Test Center. It is specially designed for producers of sensitive beverages who want to conduct feasibility studies to develop new products, trial expanding to series production, select technologies and optimise existing small-scale processes. The filling module can handle a wide range of bottle shapes and sizes, ranging from 100 millilitres to three litres, as well as test various container materials. Since the system features a sustainable, dry sterilisation process, no water is used during production. Thanks to the use of hydrogen peroxide vapour, the unit achieves log six reduction in decontamination on bottles and caps.

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These side entry units replaced top entry marine blade propellor mixers originally installed. YTRON-Y units were selected to ensure a homogeneous mix and to quickly incorporate/fold in foam generated during the powder addition phase of the process. The foam occurs due to the air inclusions in the powders being incorporated into the liquid phase through the external powder incorporation units. Mixing with the marine turbine was not able to incorporate the foam, but added to it, leaving residue and lost product in the vessels.

Each yogurt batch contains between 16-30% solids with a viscosity in the region of 100 cPs. Generally, the YTRON-Y units operate between 3 – 15 minutes, dependant on the product type, before the mix is transferred to the next stage of the process.

Mike Reid, processing & blending operations manager, commented: “these new YTRON-Y units are doing an excellent job and saving money through increased product yield and reduced cycle time.”

Yeo Valley Farms Production has been using YTRON equipment in its factories in Blagdon, Cannington and Newton Abbott for mixing, dispersing and for “smoothing” of its yogurts since the 1990’s. This has included the YTRON-Z in line rotor/stator and YTRON-Y units for various uniform mixing applications including mixing of fruit into yogurt as recently shown on the BBC program “Inside the Factory”.

For more detail contact sales@ytron-quadro.co.uk or visit www.ytron-quadro.co.uk.

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Mr Hansen joins Admix with deep operational experience and a record of achieving substantial efficiencies at highly successful and innovative supplier and contract manufacturing companies across sectors including industrial, medical, aerospace, defense, and high-tech.

“Thom’s breadth of experience driving a lean culture will be instrumental in streamlining our processes across multiple departments,” said Mike Rizzo, Admix CEO. “His demonstrated operational and strategic excellence will be crucial to our ability to expand capacity and meet increased customer demands in the markets we serve.”

Most recently, as vice president and general manager for MC Assembly, a division of SMTC, a turnkey manufacturer, Thom led operations, manufacturing, and continuous improvement programmes with a focus on Best-in-Class techniques and Lean Manufacturing practices. Earlier in his career, he held senior leadership positions at NeuroMetrix Inc, KMC Systems Inc, and Mack Technologies Inc. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Massachusetts.

Hansen comments: “As a highly respected mixing equipment manufacturer with footholds across multiple industries, I believe Admix solutions play a critical role in improving its customers’ mixing operations. I am extremely pleased be a part of an employee-owned company that already takes great pride in providing superior quality products and excellent customer satisfaction. I look forward to exploring ways to make jobs easier, reduce waste, and create additional positive changes to the enterprise process.”

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