How Moisture Can Make And Break The Food We Produce And Eat?

Moisture presence can have serious adverse effects on food products. The precise amount of moisture is important for the quality, taste and shelf life and even a slight variation can harm the physical properties of a food item. While maintaining a moisture-free environment is essential even at smaller places such as home and office, it is furthermore important in food processing plants.

Food safety is, probably, one of the most important issues that food processing companies face day-in and day-out. Concern for public health in the case of potentially devastating consequences of contaminated food have driven industry associations, safety experts and watchdog organizations to establish guidelines not only for food handling but, for plant and process line design as well.

Moisture control is essential in every segment of the food industry in the spheres of storage, production, packaging or processing. Think for a moment, what would be your reaction when salt from the salt shaker refuses to flow or the coffee jar you have just opened for a sizzling hot coffee is all hardened? Now put the packaging and processing machinery in the same situation, sticky powders can interfere with the operation and obstruct the free and easy movement of the foodstuff. Something as simple as an instant juice powder or drink mix becomes a double problem. Not only the powder mix lump refuses to flow smoothly in humid conditions, but it also hinders the functioning of the packaging equipment.

In the confectionary foods like chocolates and sweets, moisture can affect the quality right from the point of storage to processing and storage of the finished chocolates. While processing if moisture takes a place then it leads to loss of gloss or luster, sticky or grainy surface, sugar bloom and change in flavour. Similarly, Coffee powder picks up moisture from the surrounding air which causes lumping. This not only obstructs the free flow of the coffee powder during processing and packing but also reduces the aroma and shelf life of the coffee. Even Tea leaves should contain less than 2 per cent moisture after drying.

Snack foods like potato wafers, corn chips, noodles, etc. absorb moisture from the surrounding air during processing and become soggy. Presence of moisture also results in frost formation and sweating in the cooling tunnel in the packaging equipment.

Microorganism growth is one of the main causes of potential food contamination. Moisture results in increased microorganism growth. Microbial growth and dispersal can be controlled if the surroundings and the food processing machinery and equipment inside the food processing plant and food processing facility are kept dry. But keeping a plant dry is not easy as water is an essential part of the product and process of food processing.

Ensuring Optimum Humidity Control

Proper dehumidification ensures optimum humidity control as required by the process and are dependable, efficient and versatile. Dehumidification allows smooth powder flow even during periods of high humidity.

This is why dry air is used prominently by leading food and beverages manufacturers to reduce the moisture content of the surrounding air and Desiccant based dehumidifiers can lower the moisture content of the surrounding air maintaining RH as low as 1 per cent at a constant level regardless of the ambient conditions during the production, storage and packaging to help improve the quality and retain the freshness of the processed food longer. Dehumidifiers provide bacteria-free, dry inlet air ultimately improving product quality and greater shelf life.

While F&B industry all over the world is using various dehumidification technologies, understanding and providing client base solution is a pressing priority. Over the year Indian players in the dehumidification products and solutions industry have earned a good name for themselves by coming up with cutting edge solutions made in India for the world. They have and are successfully serving various national and international players to serve their varied dehumidification needs.

Bry-Air Dehumidifiers are designed to comply with the most complex and critical requirements of high humidity and moisture removal/ regain during manufacturing. It helps prevent mould/ fungal growth, condensation prevention, loss of key product characteristics, malfunctioning and inconsistency thereby preventing production losses/rejections and reduced shelf life.