Wastage due to breakage or defects are common occurrences in chocolate manufacturer, according to Steimel, with the resulting residual amounts of chocolate and other ingredients such as cookies, nuts, raisins or cereals traditionally having to be disposed of rather than reused.
Steimel, a manufacturer of pumps chocolate and cocoa mass, showcased its new Schoko-Polar centrifuge at Pro Sweets in Cologne last month and the company said it has conducting trials with the technology over the past few months in collaboration with chocolate producers and a range of product types.
Markus Heiligers, a spokesperson for Steimel, told ConfectioneryNews.com that as a result of this testing phase and the amount of raw material recovered, the manufacturer estimates the return on investment for its new centrifuge to be around three to six months.
He said that many experiments with different products by well-known manufacturers have shown that it is perfectly possible to recover up to 90 per cent of the chocolate used in the rework.
The German developer said the Schoko-Polar can be used with products that combine chocolate with cookies, nuts, raisins, cereals or other ingredients, and all components of the centrifuge that come into contact with the product, it continued, are made of stainless steel and meet food hygiene requirements.
Steimel said that the centrifuge is available as a manually operated machine, and can also be integrated in a fully automatic system when large quantities are required to be processed.
The Schoko-Polar is available in three sizes, it added, and can be modified to suit a particular product, while all centrifuge parameters such as temperatures, speeds and centrifugal times are freely adjustable.
Steimel said that its pilot plant can be availed of for product testing, where confectioners can also seek advice about the rework technology from the facility’s trained personnel.