Forging in the food industry – Pasteurization systems and other technologies

The food industry is a very regulated sector also because it requires meticulous checks to be carried out on all products. Foodstuffs undergo a variety of checks that can vary according to the commodity characteristics but also according to the designations and production specifications. First and foremost, these checks ensure the proper preservation and wholesomeness of the products: they start from the primary production stage to the distribution stage via storage and processing. The checks to which foods are subject are documentary, commodity, and sanitary: the latter focus, among other things, on the search for pathogens, microorganisms, and chemicals that may be dangerous.

Pasteurization systems and the contribution of Forge Fedriga

Pasteurization is one of the systems used in the food industry to prolong the shelf life of foods by destroying the microorganisms that cause their degradation. For fresh produce, juices, and concentrates, for example, tubular pasteurization is used to bring the product to be packaged up to their pasteurization temperature. Food industry machinery used in this application are exchangers, which are made of several concentric pipes. The products can be heated on cylindrical surfaces so that a more even temperature is ensured for them.

Forge Fedriga is a leading manufacturer of forged products for the food industry and can boast a long experience in this sector. If thermal pasteurization processes nowadays are much more efficient and faster than in the past, this is also due to the constant technological evolution that has taken place in the industry. Forging in the food sector is also crucial for those machines that ensure aseptic packaging. This procedure extends the shelf life of the products undergoing this processing. This operation involves filling previously sterilized bags at room temperature and under sterile conditions using pipe-to-pipe exchangers. The sterilization temperature changes depending on various aspects intrinsic to the product, such as pH and any previously applied processes.

The importance of pasteurization in the food industry

The pasteurization heat treatment makes it possible to destroy microorganisms and pathogens that may lurk in foodstuffs, increasing food safety. Today’s technology makes it possible to pasteurize pre-packaged products and cool them down. This solution can be used for a wide range of food products, such as sauces and purees, jams, preserves, and yogurts.

Pasteurization can be carried out, among other things, by means of a tunnel pasteurizer suitable for products such as pickled veggies, jams, tomato juice, bottled or canned beverages, food concentrates, and fruit juices. These machines are made of stainless steel, a solid, sturdy, and durable material with a long life. Pasteurizers can be made by batch and for continuous duty, with water and steam circulation. A tunnel machine includes a heating section, a pasteurizing section, and a cooling section. The presence of a conveyor belt allows the foodstuffs to move.

During the pasteurization process, each product must undergo proper heat treatment. It is important to avoid the risk of under-pasteurization, which would cause drawbacks in terms of food safety and preservation, and that of over-pasteurization, which would significantly reduce the product’s organoleptic characteristics and nutritional properties. This is why the temperature must constantly be monitored through a monitoring probe and with the support of a water recirculation system.

Forging in the food industry

Forging is of critical importance for the use of steel in the food industry. Also known as casting, it is an industrial process that transforms parts into metal through plastic deformation. In most cases, parts are brought to a higher temperature than their recrystallization temperature and then processed with a forging press to change their shape while avoiding the risk of breakage. Pasteurization systems for the food industry are just one example of the many possible applications of this process, which is different from casting and die-casting.

Contact us for more information about our forged products for the food industry. Our experts at Forge Fedriga are at your service!