An easy way to extend a product line would be to add new flavors, but cracker innovation is going beyond that. Incorporating ingredients like ancient grains and seeds and reformulating for clean label have cracker producers placing new demands on their equipment.
“Very often where seeds or grains are placed into the forming process of the product makes a big difference in the ability to produce them,” Mr. Moye said. “When these types of ingredients are placed into the initial dough mix and then sheeted, we occasionally see a large amount of additional oil form on the gauge rolls.”
If these types of ingredients are applied before the final gauge roll, they could also tear the dough sheet during processing. But applying seeds and grains after the gauge rolls isn’t so simple either. At this stage in production, bakers must ensure that these ingredients will stay in place and won’t fall off inside the oven as that can cause a sanitation issue or fire hazard. These pitfalls shouldn’t discourage bakers from using these ingredients, however. All these issues can be avoided with testing upfront.
“Very often, we will test these products at our technical center so we and the customer understand exactly what is going to be required to achieve their products,” Mr. Moye explained. “We then design the equipment to meet these criteria.”
Understanding the makeup of these ingredients and how they impact the dough’s processing ability goes a long way in adapting the equipment to handle the dough properly.
“Most ancient grains have higher fiber and protein content and less gluten — some are gluten-free — so these grains will react differently during the makeup process,” Mr. Maller said.
In the case of extrusion, the ability to vary parameters for each barrel section optimizes the process for the desired product outcome.
This combination of high fiber and protein with less or no gluten makes these cracker doughs fragile with little tensile strength, Mr. Graham said. They require careful handling whether sheeted or extruded.
“Correct choice of conveyor belts between the sheeting rolls and the interface between the roll scraper and conveyor nosepiece are essential,” he said.
Fritsch designed its sheeting and makeup lines to be customized for handling challenging doughs like those containing seeds or ancient grains. These low-to-no-stress systems can accommodate a low- or high-water absorption by reducing dough thickness in multiple small steps. This strategy reduces tension in the dough and protects the integrity of seeds.
Seeds add character and visual appeal to crackers, but they come with their own challenges.
“Seeds and grains have long been applied to crackers, usually in the sheeting section,” said Gerard Nelson, sales director, Spooner Vicars. “The challenges here are in accurately applying the seeds and preventing the transfer of excess seeds into the oven where they may add to fire risks.”
The recent acquisition of Burford Corp. by Spooner Vicars’ parent company Middleby Corp. has helped address these issues with Burford’s seed applicator technology.
Franz Haas provides seed application on top of the dough sheet or pressed into it just before the final gauging roll.
Baker Perkins also offers this setup, Mr. Graham said.
“Seeds may be sprinkled and pressed into the top of the dough sheet before the final gauge roll, which then presses them into the dough to avoid this expensive ingredient being lost by sticking to the cutter roll or being blown off the product by oven air flow,” he noted. The company also has several specialized finishes for the rolls to keep seeds from sticking.
Sticking isn’t just an issue when it comes to seeds adhering to the equipment.
“Seeds might, depending on their size, create challenges at strip cutting of the products and the lane separation,” said Patrick Nagel, sales and customer services, technical department, Fritsch USA. “Motor-driven cutting rollers are helping to reduce the risk of lanes sticking together after cutting.”
