Part IV: Liquid Products Division

In the previous instalment of the Summer Series, we visited the Solid Products Department. Today, in the Summer Series, we take a behind-the-scenes look at the Liquid Products Department. The department manufactures liquid products, creams and emulsions. These products are made from the highest-quality ingredients to fully meet our customers’ requirements. Due to the wide variety of processes and the fact that we are dealing with plant-based products, no two production runs are the same. It is therefore particularly important that the production process is well organised. What does our production process look like?

Our 3-stage production process

Stage 1: Preparation of the raw material
Our colleague Richard is responsible for the logistics of the route the raw material must take from the warehouse shelving to the production area. Production in the liquids department is overseen by our two operators: Piet and Oliver.
At this stage, the operator is tasked with weighing out the correct portions of the raw material. Depending on the product, this process may involve anywhere from a few to ten raw materials, all of which must be carefully weighed and prepared for further processing. The number and type of raw materials depend on the recipe being prepared, the primary aim of which is to create a well-balanced and complete supplement.

Oliver: “Working as an operator in the liquids division requires divided attention, concentration and precision. In this job, it is not only the physical aspect that is important, but also the ability to think critically. The greatest satisfaction for me is seeing how, from a dozen completely different semi-finished products, a finished product is created that then ends up on the shop shelf.”

Stage 2: Raw Material Processing
Before production begins, each machine is carefully cleaned and adjusted to suit the ergonomics and characteristics of the product, in order to minimise potential losses during production on the production line.

The next stage involves preparing a mixture of the key raw materials, which are ground to achieve a homogeneous structure. In some cases, finer grinding (emulsification) is required. This results in mixtures of very small particles. In other cases, non-homogeneous mixtures are used in products to impart different visual and flavour effects to the end product.

Our products come in many variants, and each variant requires the use of specific technological processes. During production, we utilise, amongst other things, an automatic mixer with a heating jacket and homogeniser, industrial mixers and presses for extracting liquids during the maceration process.

Among other things, we use thermal treatments to ensure the microbiological safety of the product. The thermal treatment parameters (temperature and time) play a key role in this and are therefore carefully selected. Various factors influence this, such as the content of micro- and macro-elements (both of which significantly affect the taste and texture of the product).

Stage 3: Processing the finished product
Once the liquid product has been manufactured, it moves from the Liquid Products Department to the Liquid Packaging Department, where it is packaged and sealed into bottles or tubes using a range of machines. In the next instalment of our Summer Series, the Packaging Department will have its say in detail!