Better Blends With A&J Paddle Mixers
After winning a nationwide contract, Saratoga Foods needed a mixing solution capable of handling complex seasoning blends with varying ingredient densities. Their old ribbon blenders were too slow and inefficient, prompting the search for a better system.
Company Background
Saratoga Foods is a food-seasoning manufacturer that secured a large account with a national food service chain, requiring them to produce complex seasoning blends at scale.
Issue
The manufacturer relied on a labor-intensive process: weighing and manually transferring 28 ingredients, premixing 27 of them, then adding a light fiber at the end. Ingredient densities varied widely (7 lb/ft³ to 40 lb/ft³), creating challenges for ribbon blenders. With the new contract, they could no longer afford the lengthy blending times and began searching for a better solution.
Solution
While the system was being designed, A&J sent a pilot mixer to the system integrator for validation. Test batches confirmed performance, and A&J engineers even traveled on-site to run product and ensure success. Within 60 days, the pilot plant was tested and validated.
By May 2009, equipment installation was complete, and operators were trained over a 4-week period. At the heart of the solution was a two-step mixing process using two PHLAUER Paddle Mixers.
Results:
- Exceeded expectations in speed and blend quality
- Secured a long-term customer contract
- Increased market share over 3 years due to superior blending technology
- Confirmed that paddle mixers outperformed ribbon blenders in speed and blend integrity
Jim Bejna
Director of Operations, Saratoga Foods
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