From quiches and flans to mini gratins, pastries, and empanadas, prepared foods and snacking products are becoming increasingly popular with consumers. However, producing them on an industrial scale represents a real challenge for food manufacturers. That’s because these products are particularly delicate to handle and must remain in their support throughout the entire process from dosing to demolding. This also includes the proofing, baking, cooling, and freezing phases.
At the same time, in the food industry, baking is much more than a step in the production process. It shapes flavor, texture, appearance and shelf life. For small and delicate savory products, manufacturers must uphold the highest quality standards through precise baking methods, while maintaining control across a wide range of recipes, formats and substrates.
In a market driven by continuous innovation and increasing product customization, manufacturers must address three essential priorities: maintaining product quality, ensuring food safety, and achieving both flexibility and high performance. For Ginger Adnot, Product Manager at MECATHERM, meeting these expectations calls for integrated, versatile equipment that provides precise control at every stage of the production process, an approach that MECATHERM will highlight when presenting its latest solutions at Interpack, in Düsseldorf from May 7 to 13 in Hall 4 – Booth E50.
Product quality: preserving integrity through smooth handling Limiting product handling is essential to maintain the structure and appearance of delicate items. The automated pan-based line eliminates transfers between different pieces of equipment and manual handling, which is a common source of shocks and deformation. Each pan acts as a stable support. It keeps the product in place, reduces vibration, and prevents marking or damage that can occur during transfers on conventional belt conveyors.
MECATHERM’s M-UB vertical handling system, which can be installed in proofers, coolers, or freezers, allows pans and other supports to move from an ascending stack to a descending stack through a smooth, shockless rotational movement. This design removes any risk of compromised product quality. The M-UB system will be showcased at the MECATHERM booth during Interpack.
“By automating these stages, the conveying system reduces handling requirements, which are often time-consuming and can cause product damage. Since there is no longer any need to manually handle carts or pans, production becomes more fluid, safe, and efficient.” explains Ginger Adnot, Product Manager at MECATHERM.
This conveying method is particularly well-suited for sensitive recipes such as quiches, pies, flans, gratins with inclusions, and dessert creams. It delivers high-quality products that meet both consumer expectations and manufacturers’ quality standards.
Organoleptic quality: achieving consistency through precise baking Producing small savory items at an industrial scale requires a high level of precision to maintain their organoleptic properties. The baking process must be carefully controlled to ensure the correct balance of texture, color and internal structure.
Certain products, such as mini gratins, make this step even more intricate. Any inclusions must be fully cooked through, while the egg-based binder coagulates evenly without becoming too dry. Puff pastries add another layer of complexity. Their baking method must allow the dough to rise, while keeping the filling tender and delivering a crisp, golden crust with a contrasting color.
Thanks to its modular design and compact heating zones (less than 25m²), which operate independently, MECATHERM’s M-DAN oven offers a precise baking curve. Each zone can combine three heat transfer modes (convection and/or radiation), with a precise intensity adjustment of the heating intensity and hygrometry. Energy input between the top and bottom of the product is also managed independently. This precise energy management allows industrial food manufacturers to achieve the desired organoleptic characteristics, even for the most delicate products.
Production agility: responding to evolving market demands
In a market where innovation and variety are essential, the ability to produce different product formats and recipes without constraints is a major advantage. Manufacturers must be able to respond quickly to changing consumer expectations, whether that means introducing new recipes, adapting formats or working with new substrates.
The pan-based line eliminates any limitations related to product size and shape. For a new recipe or a new format, the pan set can be automatically changed without modifying the overall process. The pan management system is compatible with a wide range of pan types, making it easy to integrate new recipes and adapt production to meet evolving market demands.
Flexibility is equally important throughout the baking process. Achieving consistency is essential in industrial production, and even more critical in ovens, which are typically designated as CCPs (Critical Control Points) on the production line. It is necessary to guarantee uniform baking across all products, regardless of their position in the oven, to ensure each one reaches the required pasteurization value.
The key lies in airflow control: having uniform hot air circulation across the oven’s zones is crucial to achieving consistent products.
The M-DAN oven is particularly well-suited to meet these challenges. It offers the flexibility needed to support product innovation, and its technology stands out for its high thermal responsiveness. The M-DAN oven can increase by +100 °C in 20 minutes and decrease by -100 °C in 30 minutes. This performance significantly reduces changeover times, optimizes throughput, and ensures uniform baking tailored to each recipe.
By combining flexibility with precision, manufacturers can drive continuous product innovation while ensuring consistent quality and maintaining high operational efficiency.
Hygiene and food safety: minimizing risk across the process Food safety remains a top priority, especially for protein-based recipes that are particularly vulnerable to microbiological contamination. Main-taining strict hygienic conditions throughout the process, while preserving operational efficiency, is essential for industrial manufacturers.
The pan-based conveying system supports this objective by making cleaning operations between production runs simpler and more efficient. Conveying products on their supports simplifies cleaning operations between production runs. When a washer is integrated into the pan circuit, it enables continuous, in-line cleaning of the supports during production downtime. This approach reduces changeover time between batches or recipes and limits the risk of cross-contamination. It is in full compliance with the requirements of an HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) plan.
The M-DAN oven further strengthens hygiene and safety standards thanks to its fully accessible design. Its stainless steel construction makes cleaning faster and easier for operators, while reducing hygiene-related risks. With its smart design and ability to adapt to load variations, the oven also supports greater production continuity without compromising safety.
Performance and efficiency: driving productivity in industrial production
In addition to quality, flexibility and safety, industrial food manufacturers must also reach high levels of performance and efficiency. Equipment has to ensure high production throughput while reducing product waste and energy consumption.
The M-DAN oven is engineered for optimal heating efficiency, optimizing baking times across a wide range of products to support high throughput. Its ability to quickly react to load variations ensures steady performance and consistent results, even under demanding production conditions.
Three combinations of heat transfer modes are available:
• Top radiant heat with bottom convection
- Top convection with bottom convection
- Top convection with top radiant heat and bottom convection
Top convection with top radiant heat and bottom convection
These combinations of heat-transfer modes are adjustable per heating zone, with precise intensity and hygrometry control. They allow manufacturers to tailor the baking environment to the specific requirements of each recipe, ensuring optimal results across diverse product ranges.
The pan-based line: a fully integrated solution for prepared-food production
The industrial production of delicate savory products brings a range of complex challenges, from protecting product integrity during handling to ensuring precise baking and upholding strict hygiene requirements.
By combining a pan-based conveying system with advanced baking technology, manufacturers can address these challenges in a coherent and efficient way. The pan-based line ensures gentle handling and product stability throughout the process, while the M-DAN oven delivers the precision, flexibility and performance required for consistent, high-quality results.
Together, these solutions allow manufacturers to preserve product quality, ensure compliance with food safety standards, and support continuous innovation. In a market driven by diversity and rapid evolution, such integrated systems form a solid foundation for efficient, reliable and future-ready production.
For more information:
https://www.mecatherm.fr/en/savory-products/
