Mayonnaise and mayonnaise sauces are the leading among various fat-based sauces and condiments. These products are recommended for everyday use by all population groups, in the manufacture of various dishes, sandwiches, salads, in home cooking and the public catering system, as well as for preventive and dietary nutrition.
Trends in consumer demand
Mayonnaise occupies a special place in the human diet, as eating fats in the form of an emulsion helps to increase the rate of their absorption and improve their digestibility. Analysing the latest trends in the Sauces and Mayonnaise Group, we can note that today there are three main trends in consumer demand that play an important role in determining the strategies of food companies:
- naturalness of the ingredients;
- pleasant taste of the sauce;
- ease of use.
To meet all the necessary criteria, we need to constantly expand our recipes, improve our product range, and change our packaging and packaging.
Production technology
Sauces can be made in a variety of ways. The most common is the method where the dosing, mixing and preparation of the emulsion takes place in one container, and then the same container is used for packaging. This method is ideal for small production volumes.
For high-performance enterprises, the most efficient and easy-to-use equipment is the equipment with the separation of technological phases from Selo Food Technology B.V. (Netherlands), a global leader in the production of technological equipment. The company offers comprehensive production lines for the manufacture of high-quality products such as mayonnaise, sauces and ketchup. For mayonnaise production, the company has developed a family of industrial batch plants.
Production takes place in four phases:
- Preparation of all the necessary ingredients;
- preliminary emulsification;
- preparation of the emulsion;
- adding a starch phase and vegetable additives.
Parts of the process, such as pre-weighing and mixing, are intermittent, while pasteurisation and cooling are continuous. Intermediate hoppers are required between the process steps to ensure production continuity, even if there is a short shutdown in some parts of the line. In the starch and vegetable preparation unit, sauces can also be prepared using the dosing, mixing and pasteurisation functions, while the rest of the processing unit will produce mayonnaise (without starch and vegetables). The line is fully automated thanks to Siemens PLC controllers, which ensure continuous production and product quality regardless of the operator.
Advantages of SELO plants
The SELO concept offers the following advantages:
- more economical use of egg yolk, starch and stabilisers;
- creating optimal production conditions to obtain the correct size of the oil ball;
- Reduced overall equipment costs.
Thanks to new technologies, Selo can extend the shelf life of mayonnaise by up to six months. To do this, factors such as taste, emulsion quality and the presence of bacteria must be taken into account. The main ingredient that can affect the taste is oil, so it is necessary to purchase good quality oil, store it chilled and without access to air, and use antioxidants (vitamins E and EDTA) in the recipe. The quality of the emulsion depends on the correct distribution of small oil droplets, and the absence of bacteria in the product after packaging is achieved through a combination of the following parameters: PH, the presence of active acids (acetic or lactic acid), preservatives in the form of benzoic and sorbic acid, natural antibacterial substances (mustard, rosemary extract, etc.), water activity and salt content.
Convenient packaging
In terms of ease of use, the packaging used plays an important role. In general, over the past few years, Ukraine has seen a pronounced trend towards increased consumer demand for mayonnaise in doy-packs. Whereas previously consumers preferred cheap, but at the same time inconvenient to use, packs, today they are switching to more civilised and economical types of packaging. For example, according to expert estimates, the share of mayonnaise in doy-pack packaging is 35-50% of all types of packaging used today.
One of the leaders in the design and supply of packaging equipment is Effytec (Spain), which specialises in the production of FFS (form + fill + seal) machines for doy-packs and covers all the processes - forming the bag, filling it with product, sealing and inserting the plug in one machine. Traditional applications for this type of equipment include the packaging of mayonnaise, sauces, ketchup, juice drinks, detergents, gels and creams. All products are available in standardised packs ranging in volume from 50 to 1500 ml.