Seasoning crackers and baked snacks can be tricky because of the lack of residual surface oil when compared to fried products. Often, salt and seasonings require producers to apply higher levels of oil to ensure the toppings adhere to these products.

“Many of these products tend to be more uniform in size and shape than a fried chip product,” said Tim Nanney, technical sales manager, North America sales, Heat and Control.

“In drum-based coating systems, these products tend to shingle atop one another and not expose both sides for targeted applied coating of liquid and dry seasonings,” he added. “To overcome this potential problem, proper drum sizing and design are crucial. The correct sizing, angle and number of internal coating drum product flights are keys to yielding constantly coated finished products.”

Nanney mentioned the most common method for product seasoning is the traditional two-stage system. This system typically includes a coating drum, oil spray system and a dry seasoning system, including a powder feeder and scarf plate distributor.

Another common cracker seasoning system features a slurry spray system to apply blended formulations of oil or water with dry seasoning.

Norm Searle, sales and marketing, GOE/Amherst Stainless Fabrication, said manufacturers face several challenges with seasoning, especially when it comes to BFY baked snacks. They include heat sensitivity, flavor distribution, allergen cross-contamination and the use of viscous or specialized ingredients. He recommended using a customized dispensing design, temperature-controlled systems and enhanced cleaning protocols to resolve these issues. 

To add a burst of flavor to baked snacks while maintaining a healthy nutritional profile, Searle suggested bakers try bold flavors and precision spraying of healthier fats and natural ingredients.

Sanitation can be an issue when it comes to seasoning. Nanney said Heat and Control offers its new Symphony Seasoning System with patent-pending technology that draws airborne seasoning through the product stream to capture and keep it on the products and prevent it from escaping outside the coating drum.

This article is an excerpt from the February 2025 issue of Baking & Snack. To read the entire feature on Cracker & Baked Snack Processing, click here.