Dow Healthy Oils buys Armfield margarine crystalliser
As one of Dow AgroSciences business divisions, it provides healthier oils to the food service and manufacturing industries through natural plant breeding, which is an alternative to oils containing saturated and trans fat.
Included at its facility in Indianapolis, US, are bakery shortenings, frying shortenings, spreads, emulsions, icings and sauces.
POC trials
Speaking about the acquisition, John Keller, food applications leader, Healthy Oils, Dow AgroSciences, said it will use the Armfield FT25BBP Continuous Margarine Crystalliser as a research tool for making small-scale Proof of Concept (POC) trials, and to generate samples and prototypes for commercial use.
“We need the capability to prepare shortening prototypes for evaluation of Omega-9 Oil performance (a shortening component), as well as prepare food products and systems that demonstrate the functionality, organoleptic appeal and health benefits of Omega-9 Oils to customers,” he said.
Keller has worked at Dow AgroSciences for 30 years including product development, R&D and technical service roles with food manufacturers (Unilever, Nestle and Campbell Soup) as well as with ingredient suppliers (Hercules, Rhone-Poulenc, ISP Alginates (formerly Kelco) and PL Thomas) focusing primarily on hydrocolloids, emulsifiers, and lipids in product applications.
Flexibility
Prior to the agreement with Dow AgroSciences ran larger-scale trials (minimum 100-500 lb batch sizes) on a pilot unit, which generated one answer or one data point on a curve with subsequent waste of product, time and expense.
“We like the flexibility of the ArmfieldFT25BBP to run small and/or several different batches in a single day and it is a piece of in-house equipment that does not require travel to a location to use or contractual fees,” added Keller.
At the invitation of Armfield and before deciding to purchase the unit, Keller and his colleagues visited the firm’s UK pilot laboratory to carry out a range of evaluation tests using the FT25BBP.
Armfield's industrial division designs and manufactures R&D Systems for the F&B, dairy, oils and pharmaceutical industries.
