Eirich at ProSweets: the perfect mixture for product developments

The expert in mixing and preparation technology is helping producers in the snacks and sweets industry to deliver individual, new product ideas. Here, thanks to the technology from Eirich, the processes of mixing, granulating, coating, encapsulation, dispersing, and kneading can now all be implemented in a single machine. At its own Test Center, Eirich also provides its customers with a testing environment for innovative ideas.

Hardheim, November 2024: At ProSweets 2025 the snacks and sweets industry will once again be highlighting the latest trends and product developments in the industry. Particularly in this dynamic and highly competitive industry, innovation plays a key role. With quality expectations continuously rising, producers in this fiercely competitive market can set themselves apart from their competitors and attract new target groups with innovative flavor combinations.

And it is precisely with these types of product developments that mixing and processing expert Eirich can act as an enabler. With its unique mixing method, the company helps its clients to develop and realize exceptional product ideas – and all in a single machine. CleanLine C5, which visitors will also be able to see live in action at ProSweets, can be used to perform a whole range of processes at the same time: mixing, deagglomerating, dispersing, granulating, coating, kneading, and drying. With its universal, one-pot approach, the C5 not only boosts efficiency, but it also reduces the risk of contamination that would otherwise be associated with the various handover points between these individual processes, which is a major advantage in the hygiene-sensitive food industry. It delivers both the utmost flexibility and unrivaled mixing results at the same time. From gentle mixing to high-intensity mixing, the C5 allows customers to produce a wide range of consistencies and can be easily upgraded with additional functions, such as mixing under vacuum or temperature conditioning of the material being mixed.

Test new recipes at the Eirich Test Center
So that clients can have the opportunity to try out new ideas and recipes before committing to them, Eirich has created an experimental trialing and testing environment at its Test Center. Every year, individual solutions are developed together with customers and users in nearly 500 trials. If a sweets manufacturer would like to evaluate and compare new product ideas, they have the option here to run both laboratory-scale tests and scale-up tests. Since 2024 Eirich has also offered on-site visits by experienced process engineers who will take a laboratory-scale machine directly to the premises of interested parties. With the expertise and technology of Eirich, individual production solutions can be found for any idea. Rental machines are also available for longer practical tests.

Encapsulation for carefully targeted use of flavorings, vitamins, sweetness, and acidity
Encapsulation is used in cases where value-adding ingredients need to be protected against environmental influences or where a delayed, controlled release is to be achieved. This creates new options e.g. for controlled use of flavorings, vitamins, sweeteners, acids, or food colorings. Thanks to encapsulation, the products preserve their sensory properties even over long periods of time, which means that they can be stored for longer. One application for this is sour fruit gummy sweets: Because the acid ingredient is encapsulated, it no longer extracts moisture from the sweets during storage.

In the CleanLine C5 machine, the encapsulation process is implemented in a manner that is particularly energy efficient in comparison to fluid bed technology, and it can also be combined with other processes. This allows substances to be encapsulated that could not be fluidized in conventional systems. As a result, the unit offers plenty of scope for creative experimentation and allows complex production steps to be combined into a single process. All this makes the Eirich Mixer an ideal solution for challenging processes – not only in the production of food.

“We understand the strict requirements that are faced by producers in the food industry. Expectations are huge today when it comes to quality, efficiency, and an insatiable demand for new taste sensations,” underlines Fabian Saile, Process Engineer at Eirich. “We are delighted that we can inspire a desire to innovate in the industry with our expertise. Particularly in the area of encapsulation, I believe there is tremendous potential for sweets manufacturers to shape the design of their products even more carefully to deliver the desired taste sensations. And, speaking more generally, thanks to our technology, which not only allows almost any material consistency to be processed but also offers scope for virtually unlimited experimentation, while at the same time meeting the highest standards in terms of hygiene and quality, there are no limits when it comes to creativity.”

ProSweets is the international trade fair for suppliers to the snacks & sweets industry. The trade fair will take place from February 2-5, 2025 in Cologne. The Eirich stand can be found in hall 10.1 at booth D019. Here, visitors will be able to see the Eirich CleanLine C5 live in action and find out all about its features.