Lindor, Dordrecht, the Netherlands, reports that four of its L1000 drum mixers are homogenising tons of ethnic snacks (namkeen) daily for Haldiram’s, India’s largest sweets and snacks manufacturer. Namkeen is a time-honoured Indian snack food which nowadays is increasingly produced in an easily reproducible and much more hygienic process than in the past. Namkeen consist of many different ingredients such as baked lentils, chickpeas, fried vermicelli, potato sticks and extruded snacks. These are mixed with various types of spices (such as masala powder). Lindor’s ‘gentle touch’ technology helps ensure that these fragile products remain intact during mixing, which lasts no more than two minutes.

 

It has also been found that thanks to the closed system and better homogeneity, some 10% less masala powder is required to flavour the snacks – an important cost saving, as masala powder is by far the most expensive ingredient in the snack mix. Drum mixers were specified with various options – such as fluid injection, weighing cells and CIP (cleaning in place) – to further increase hygiene and productivity.

 

India has been an important market for Lindor over the last four years. Working in close cooperation with its partner FPT India (with branches in Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai), it has carried out a variety of mixer installations, particularly in the food industry. FPT also has a test centre in Ahmedabad where product trials are being carried out with and for clients with a Lindor drum mixer. 

 

 

 

One of four Lindor drum mixers recently acquired by Haldiram’s for blending namkeen