Best way to apply spice flakes on cold dried fruits

for coating you can use both coating pans and belt coater.

What will you use as coating material?

https://www.heatandcontrol.com/model/belt-coater


edit :slight_smile:

now i read the title :sweat_smile:

belt coter may not be true choice for spice flakes but classic coating pans works.

We will use a batch coating drum. Same as used to coat with chocolate.

and i think best is drum coater

https://www.snack-food-machinery.com/snack-food-machine/puffed-snack-machine/stainless-steel-drum-flavoring-coating.html

[quote="Eugene, post:3, topic:10088, full:true"]
We will use a batch coating drum. Same as used to coat with chocolate.
[/quote]

i am with you, it think it is best and most effective method.

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@Eugene said in question #10088:

To raise water activity of final product

*What are the best solutions for this task?*

maybe, you can try glue spices with an agent as gum arabic solution. Of course solution must be contain a solvent and this can increase moisture to final product.

But this can be better then using steam.

Now i am thinking aloud :slight_smile:

Can you decrease moisture after coting process?

Can you use ethanol to dissolve gum arabic or equivalent? Because ethanol can not stay final product and it does not increase the moisture.

Hello @FOOD-COATING

Could you share your thoughts please?

Will wait for @FOOD-COATING thoughts. By the way we have a good amount of Xantham gum at the warehouse.

The coating with flakes should be a simple procedure with as little operations and ingredients as possible. The product after the coating will go to aluminium bags with oxigen absorbers and sealed for ~ 2 years storage.

P.S. If we will switch to spices in powder will it be better and easier to apply?

@Eugene said in question #10088:

If we will switch to spices in powder will it be better and easier to apply?

i do not think so. in my opinion, firstly you should coat, make wet/adhesive the centers with adhesive agent as gum arabic or xanthan gum etc. and then you should apply spices on the centers.

@Eugene

I was previously connected with confectionery abd snack firm making gummies, and nut s coated with s. But due to the proprietary nature which I am sworn to confidentiality I can't divulge much of the technical process to the public.
But in principle, you need an adhesive either a sugar syrup or a starch solution as a binder which then the granules or powder follows ,then a hot air blasts to dry the surface while the coating process is done repeatedly to the required thickness before being finished with a glaze to making it look glossy.
The end product had low Aw
You mentioned xanthan it might work( like gum Arabic ,that xanthan.is soluble in dilute alcohol.but precipitated in high alcohol concentration.
Once you put a coat ,put your flake to adhere to the base material.
You need a facility to remove moisture from your item.A hose or tube with hot air is the norm in tyoical panning drum or oval circular pan while the base material is tumbling in it.
Would it work for you.?

Hii,
You will use maltodextrin ( e150) with some amounts of starch mix with spice flakes . For mixing purpose use rotating round shape or vessel shape mixer or tumbler mixer . Its may be better results.

@rajeevranjank20 said in question #10088:

You will use maltodextrin ( e150) with some amounts of starch mix with spice flakes

Main problem is gluing of spices to centers without increase moisture and aw.

As we see the product type that is fruits with 5% moisture & we are going to coating with chilly flacks . If we tried in small amount of maltodextrin or modified starch it may be works on it . The matter of gluing will short out with this process. Other hand if we use different edible gums like pectin etc then we need to increase moisture as you mentioned.

Dear Eugene, am I wrong or is there a step missing in this development project ? Before speaking of any machinery, did you try to do test in a kitchen pan? Using the hands to move the product, adding the ingredients, etc. The purpose is to achieve a control sample of what you want, take a picture of it as the target. Do the test by whatever means : using any kind of glue (Gum Arabic being the best candidate to start with : low viscosity at high concentration, good filming properties, compatibility with many surfaces), assessing the way the core product (the fruit dices), the glue and the coating ingredients behave (the smaller the flakes the easier and the stronger the adhesion), feeling which motion is the more appropriate (which will decide which equipment is suitable), anticipating the discrepancies (fruit glueing together, the powder agglomerating, resulting moisture too high). Re moisture, which quantity the dry fruit and flakes can absorb without affecting the taste, mouthfeel and preservation : 1, 2 or 3 or more % ? This will give the quantity of glue allowed to stick the flakes.

Dear Denoyelle, thank you very much for your answer. You are totally right as i am totally new to coating. The step is missed and your explanation helps to plan those experiments. Can you suggest any detailed text or video materials to understand deeper mentioned concepts and maybe some kind of educational material on kitchen pan coating? I really appreciate your time and brilliant questions that made me think different.

Hello Evgeny, as a fist instance just have a look to the website www.food-coating.com. Powder coating applications are summarily described. Some are similar to what you intend to do : sugar application on chewy sweets, flavouring of crunchy nuts ... As you need a glue to stick the flakes, this glue will tend to glue first the fruit dices together because they have flat surfaces. The challenge is to find the right balance between glue quantity, glue viscosity, glue adhesiveness and find the right moment to add the flakes. This can only be achieve by trial and error. I do not have a specific video to recommend but will seek for it if it exists.