5 Pieces of Wet Grinding Equipment you May Need

Wet grinding is a critical part of commercial food production in the United States. Unlike dry processing, which involves no moisture, wet processing requires water activity, both in the products and during the processing of them. This water activity may come in the form of water circulation, steam, pasteurization, or sterilization. Utilized to develop pet foods, as well as foods for human consumption, wet processing involves mixing ingredients and packaging them in a can, pouch, or tray, where they will later be cooked before distribution. While wet food processing has many benefits, one of the largest is that it allows materials to remain shelf-stable for the entire life of the product or until the container is opened. 

What Do You Need to Begin Wet Grinding?

If your organization is considering expanding or entering the wet food grinding industry, you may be wondering what kind of equipment you need to begin. Here’s a breakdown of the five pieces of wet food processing equipment we recommend every manufacturing operation should have:

1. Dicers

Dicers are commonly used to make prepared foods, such as veggies and toppings. Take prepared, pre-chopped chicken, for example – it goes through a commercial-grade dicer outfitted with circular blades. This system offers outstanding precision, high output, and less waste.  Dicers also produce visually appealing food products, which can help increase a company’s sales. By supporting faster, more sanitary food production, dicers have quickly become a favorite tool in the commercial food production industry.

2. Shredders

Shredders are a critical part of size reduction equipment. Used to produce materials with uniform thickness, shredders are particularly popular in manufacturing the ingredients for pre-packaged salads and the like. Designed to grate vegetables and other food products rapidly and at scale, shredders can take large blocks of material and quickly reduce them to a size that’s easy to process further. One of their primary applications is in the production of MREs, or Meals Ready to Eat. Shredders make quick work of the various wet ingredients so they can then be packaged and prepared for further production. 

3. Slicers

Slicers are used to reduce vegetables like whole carrots. A critical part of the wet food production industry, slicers are some of the most flexible types of food production equipment and can go a long way toward increasing the output of your processing program.

4. Comminution equipment

Today, many wet food products are pureed. This puree process requires the inclusion of Comminution equipment. Today, comminution equipment is prevalent in the tomato processing industry, for example, and is an integral part of the production of tomato paste, tomato puree, tomato sauce, and more. 

5. Homogenizers

In America, food is homogenized to make it shelf-stable for human consumption. Here’s how the Encyclopedia Britannica defines homogenization: Homogenization is the process of reducing a substance, such as the fat globules in milk, to tiny particles and distributing it uniformly throughout a fluid, such as milk. When milk is homogenized correctly, the cream will not rise to the top. The process involves forcing the milk through small openings under high pressure, thus breaking up the fat globules. Cream and other food products, such as peanut butter, may also be homogenized to produce a stable emulsion, i.e., one in which fats or oils will not separate from other elements. A similar process is used in the manufacture of some cosmetics and pharmaceutical products. As you can see, homogenization is a complex process, and it requires a complex piece of equipment. This is where the role of commercial homogenizers comes in. Designed to serve as the final step in the production process of liquids, including milk, ketchup, mayonnaise, and baby food, homogenizers help protect foods, extend their shelf-life, and deliver value – both to the producer and the consumer. 

Putting Together a Functional Wet Grinding Operation

Wet grinding is a critical part of the overall food production industry. If you’re interested in enhancing your wet food processing equipment, these five crucial pieces of machinery are here to help. Designed to provide a high-quality finished product, improve output, and more, these five pieces of wet food processing equipment are a must-have for any operation.  Not sure what you need for your wet food processing operation? Contact Corenco’s reps. Our team specializes in helping operations identify the most useful pieces of equipment for them, and will be happy to walk you through our selection of products. Let us help you build the wet food processing lineup you need to grow your business.