Test Steam Infusion cooking
Adopting new technologies presents various business challenges and at OAL, we have developed a number of routes for our customers to test and trial Steam Infusion heating and mixing.
Option 1: trials at our UK test centre
Our 4000 sq. ft test centre is located at the National Centre for Food Manufacturing, a satellite campus of the University of Lincoln, in the UK. Sitting within academic surroundings, the offsite location is perfect for blue sky thinking and breaking away from the day-to-day operations. Here, you can test out the technology on your own recipes and processes. You can have your ingredients delivered and stored at the centre (or we can provide them) before spending a day with our team cooking your products with Steam Infusion.
With our Development Chefs on hand to facilitate and advise on recipe and process changes, it’s amazing what can be accomplished in a single day. You also have access to the university’s full suite of analysis equipment including sensory suite, Mastersizer laser particle size analyser and GC-MS (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Analysis) equipment so you can rest assured that you understand the full impact of Steam Infusion on your products before committing to purchase.
The system has all available configurations of the Steam Infusion Vaction™ Pump including, In-Tank Steam Infusion, In-Line powder entrainment re-circulation and single pass four units in series on a 500kg (1,100lb) test system, as well as our patented Robot Chef.
Option 2: rent a Steam Infusion Vaction™ Pump
Depending on where you are based, you may find it easier to rent a Steam Infusion Vaction™ Pump, either In-Tank or In-Line, to run trials at your own facility. Customers who choose this route can rely on our Process Engineers to support the integration into your existing process, as well as any guidance from our Development Chefs who can advise on how best to tweak recipes to make the most of the technology and your products. so you can see the results for yourself in your own facility.
To conduct trials at your facility, you would need to have access to culinary grade or clean steam at 750kg/hr at 6.5 Bar (1650 [lb/hr] at 94 PSI).