Before one should understand the relationship between RO plant and Chocolate manufacturing industry, the process should be well understood. The chocolate manufacturing process has three defined stages which are briefly discussed.
THE CREATION AND EXTRACTION STAGE
In this stage the raw materials are grounded (cocoa beans), roasted and finally Cocoa butter is extracted. The end product of the process is cocoa powder.
THE MIXING STAGE
This is a temperature defined stage where in blending and mixing of the cocoa butter is done. The mixing product is passed through rollers to form the chocolate film. The mixing stage involves a temperature of 43 degree centigrade which gives a distinct aroma.
THE PRODUCTION STAGE
Kneaded chocolate is melted again to a less viscous phase. The moulding process is part of production stage where in different sizes of moulds are used. Moulds are vibrated after filling and then refrigeration of the product to 8 degree centigrade is done.
RO AND CHOCOLATE INDUSTRY
Water demand of chocolate industry can be understood by acquiring knowledge where the water is to be used:
- Cleaning of Cocoa Seeds.
- Cleaning of machinery and equipment.
- Growing of Cocoa tree etc.
Now since the tap water supplies are of impurities which can impart taste color and odor to the end product, it isn’t desirable to use the water for production. This needs to be addressed and a particular purification technology should be employed in order to assure quality in your end products.
Why RO?
There are ample reasons why an RO system is fit for chocolate industry water demands. Some of the following have been listed under:
- RO system is known for its removal of metallic ions which can impart taste color and odor to the water.
- RO system is capable of removing TDS and TSS with sufficient efficiency.
- The plant cost will be an economical one for the industry.
- Since chocolate industry is in the business of food processing, the water used should be free from toxic elements; an RO system is capable of removing the metals as it has an activated carbon filter present inside the assembly etc.
The quality of the product water had to be 100% as specified, with no deviation over time, and unaffected by external factors. Water used as ingredient water in the food industry must comply with all local standards, plus any government regulations and export market requirements. Designing commercial reverse osmosis equipment in a dual train configuration gives clients greater flexibility in arrangements.
Reverse osmosis plant, in essence, brings the salinity of water down to zero ppm, or as near to zero as operators require for their process. Water used as an ingredient in food and beverages must be free of any unwanted impurities, including undesirable tastes, odours and colours. We achieve this by building multiple layers of filtration into a water treatment system. Multimedia filtration tanks, filled with sand, gravel and anthracite layers, are the first step. Then, cartridge filtration takes the feed water through five, then one micron filtration. Finally, the water is passed to the reverse osmosis membranes, which prepares it for use in food production.