PROCESSING
Improving productivity
with humidity
M
anaging the water content of food products is a vital strategy in maximising yield and maintaining quality. The main factors that influence the volume and speed of water movement from and into food produce are the relative humidity of the surrounding atmosphere and the duration of exposure. This makes humidity control vital. The most common requirements for humidity control in food production facilities — across both humidification and dehumidification — include:
in an immediate reduction in yield. Alongside this, product quality, appearance and shelf life can all be impaired through moisture loss.
Preventing surface drying: Moisture loss from the surface of food products can cause a skin or a crust to form and this can dull the appearance of a product. Also, if a product experiences any subsequent dimensional changes, this outer layer can split, resulting in a cracked appearance.
Preventing static: Air with a humidity of 55%RH or more will act as a natural conductor for electrical charge. This is an effective way of preventing static in food manufacturing environments. Static can cause issues for susceptible products such as wafers, or associated elements such as packaging.
Preventing evaporative losses: Moisture evaporation from produce can have many detrimental effects — if product is sold by weight it will result
Providing air cooling: Cold water humidifiers will provide 680 W of evaporative cooling to the air for every 1 kg of evaporated water. As
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Suppressing airborne pollutants: Food production environments can have significant amounts of airborne contamination — for example, flour or sugar. Maintaining a mid- to high-level humidity will cause airborne pollutants to adhere together and precipitate out of the atmosphere more readily, keeping the air cleaner and the environment safer for staff.
This issue is sponsored by – Schneider Electric – http://se.com/au/getreadyformore
