Food & Beverage Processing
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Chocolate and Confection Manufacturers – Remember the Valve
Sales of chocolate and candy are always strong. As producers expand to meet demand, it's critical to choose the right valves, since the flow of temperature-sensitive, sugary products through a line is susceptible to product hardening. Click to read more about making the right valve choices...
Jams, Jellies and Preserves: How to Choose the Right Processing Vessel
As consumers focus on healthy lifestyles and opt for natural products, demand for jam, jelly, and preserve products is growing. To accommodate the growth and variety of ingredients, manufacturers may need to modify, upgrade or add processing equipment to keep pace. Here's how equipment choices can impact overall operational performance...
Soup’s On: What to Consider When Adding Capacity for Soup Production
More and more people agree that “soup is good food”. So, it’s no surprise that researchers expect the demand for soup to continue growing, with global annual value reaching $20B by 2026. This positive outlook means many soup producers are looking to add capacity. Here's what to consider...
Equipment Considerations for Plant-Based Food Processing
The plant-based food market is expected to reach $74.2 billion by 2027. As food manufacturers ramp up production of plant-based products, they must determine how to configure their processing equipment to effectively scale operations. Here are several important considerations...
When Food Manufacturers Must Choose Between In-House or Contract Manufacturing
Most food producers—at some point in their product’s lifecycle—arrive at a fork-in-the-road moment where they must decide to make their product in-house, or outsource production to a contract manufacturer. Here are the pros and cons for each choice...
Challenge Accepted: Accommodating Low and High-Viscosity Product in the Same Vessel
It’s one thing to engineer a processing vessel solution to optimize production for thick, high-viscosity product. But engineering a solution that works well for a product that starts as a water-like mixture and gradually takes on the consistency of heavy paste? That is an entirely different challenge, and here's how Lee met it...
Why Mixing is So Vital to Organic Food Processing Operations
Organic food processors go to great lengths to ensure authenticity in their products. But if your end-product lacks the homestyle texture expected of fresh and natural ingredients, then that effort may be wasted. Here's how the role of mixing contributes to keeping organic food as appealing as possible...
The Earlier the Better: When Food Manufacturers Should Bring Processing Equipment Engineers into New Product Development
Food manufacturers often invest in developing new products that attract consumer interest and increase revenue. Yet, that new-product potential can be limited by setting up shortsighted or sub-optimized production processes. Here's how to avoid that mistake...
Five Questions to Ask When Buying a Used Kettle
Considering a used processing kettle? While they offer quick availability and lower prices than new ones, it's crucial to evaluate factors beyond design, capacity and agitator type. Here's what to consider when deciding whether or not to buy a used kettle...
Challenge Accepted: Preventing Burn-On When Cooking Cheese Sauce in a Jacketed Kettle
As anyone who has melted cheese on a stovetop knows, it is nearly impossible to keep it from sticking to the pot and cleaning the inside surface afterward can be difficult. See how we solved this challenge for one of our contract process and packaging customers...
Sauce Manufacturing: Be Sure to Consider These When Choosing Your Processing Equipment
The sauce category within the food manufacturing industry is growing about 4% per year, spurring product innovation from both small and large processors. To help you choose the right vessel for your sauce processing operation, be sure to consider these factors...
Challenge Accepted: Increasing Evaporation Rates to Accelerate Production
A customer came to us with a challenge: how to increase capacity using larger vessels, but manage the amount of water they need to remove. Our engineers went to work, and here's how they solved this unique challenge...
Food Industry Growth Forcing Manufacturers to Rethink Processing Equipment
We’ve been a part of the food manufacturing world for over nine decades, so we know that change is a constant for the industry. But the pace of change today – and its impact on the food manufacturing process – is more significant than ever... Here are some of the key implications we see that will affect how food manufacturers make decisions on their processing equipment:
Challenge Accepted: Faster Cooling in Jamaica
How do you allow food to cool fast enough to meet processing time limits, when you're in a hot climate? That was the challenge presented to Lee's engineers, and here's how they solved it...
Improving FSMA Compliance with Safety Features
Food safety remains a top priority for manufacturers, driven in part by FSMA. Many are focusing on equipment changes that support compliance. Here are three areas where upgrades can strengthen food safety efforts...
Three Vessel Design Enhancements to Improve Your Throughput
Improving throughput involves more than just adding capacity. Whether you're adding a new vessel, moving to a larger capacity, or replacing an existing unit, you have the unique opportunity to choose design options that can optimize your overall performance. Here are 3 to consider...
Steam or Hot Water? Which Heating Source is Best for Your Operation?
Choosing a heat source is a key consideration for all food processing operations. For processors who use a jacketed kettle design, the most common choice comes down to steam vs. hot water. But is one of them superior? Read on to find out...
Two Ways Food Processing Kettles Prevent Waste — And Help the World
In food manufacturing, 32.4% of all food waste is tied to production issues, much of which could be prevented. However, food production kettles can be a big asset in the fight against food waste. Here are two key areas where kettles can make a difference...
Crucial Factors to Consider When Expanding Your Food Processing Operation
No matter the size of your current food processing operation, you may someday need to expand. If and when that day comes, you’ll have to address these important questions regarding the expansion’s impact on your production...
Three Ways Inclined Agitation Improves Operational Efficiency
When it comes to optimizing your production, there are two clear alternatives in the mixing and agitation area: horizontal ribbon blenders and hemispherical kettles with inclined agitation. Both have their benefits, but there are three significant ways kettles with inclined agitation set themselves apart...
Use the 10X Rule to Guide Your Food Production Expansion
If you need to increase your production capacity to keep up with demand, the 10X rule is a helpful way to determine your processing equipment needs. Here's how this rule works...
How to Improve Food Safety in Your Plant Operations
Assuring that your product will always be sanitary and free of contaminants is a critical food processing goal. So, when you are planning the design and configuration of your next kettle purchase, it is important to keep food safety in mind...
How to Improve Operator Safety in Your Food Processing Operations
During food processing, the safety of your production team is key. This article features key safety issues to consider in your food processing operation.
Lee Industries Explores Blending Options in Latest Production Guide
Choosing between inclined agitation kettles and horizontal ribbon blenders depends on a number of important food processing factors. This helpful production guide explores the differences in the two predominant mixer styles, and provides considerations for choosing the right style for your operation...