6 Uses of Steam in The Food And Beverage Industry

The steam boiler system performs a variety of roles and functions in the food and beverage industry. Numerous steps and procedures in food production and food processing require the use and application of controlled and regulated heat. It’s the steam boiler system in a food manufacturing and processing plant that produces this controlled heat and many other plant functions.

Most production and manufacturing plants require the installation and operation of steam boiler pumps for many purposes. They’re sometimes used to produce heat for some pump applications as well as cleaning and washing.

For instance, CMPS offers a suite of solutions that harness the latest in technological advancements, ensuring food manufacturers remain at the forefront of innovation and efficiency.

But they take on a more direct role in the production process in the food and beverage industry. You might want to check carverpump.com and other similar sites if you want to know what boiler system is most suitable for your food production process.

Here are a few of the multiple uses and applications of steam in the food and beverage industry.

1. Cleaning And Disinfecting

One of the most important applications of steam boilers in the food and beverage industry is to use them in cleaning and disinfecting. Food cleanliness and safety should always be among the highest priorities of companies in the food and beverage industry because most of the food and products they handle and process end up inside the fridge or on dining tables, and are ultimately consumed by the general public.

For this reason alone, it’s highly important to make sure that all the utensils, tools, containers, surfaces, pans, and other implements used in food processing and food production always go through routine cleaning, washing, and disinfecting. Steam boilers are sometimes used to produce pressurized water for cleaning and disinfecting.

Safety standards and protocols have been highlighted further by the ongoing global pandemic. Workers in food processing and food production companies have had to go through health check procedures to make sure they’re not going to leave something contagious in the final packaging.

2. Sterilization, Safety, And Health Protocols

Some food production and food processing companies have likened the additional protocols that they had to put in place with some of the measures that were instituted and strictly observed in hospital triads and admission sections. It’s very similar to the cleaning and sterilization protocols observed in hospital operating and surgery rooms.

Steam boilers are highly useful in cleaning and sterilizing all the utensils, tools, and other implements used in food production and food processing activities. They need to make sure that all the utensils and tools that they’re using are all properly, regularly, and frequently cleaned and sterilized to kill any germs or bacteria which might have been left on their surface through human contact.

The use of steam in the food processing industry is one of the most popular applications of steam. It has enabled them to make sure that their food processing activities don’t start without subjecting all their utensils, tools, containers, and other tools and equipment to cleaning and sterilizing protocols.

3. Reducing Microbiological Risks

Another important use of steam in the food and beverage industry is reducing and minimizing the risks of microbiological contamination from the food raw materials themselves which are used as inputs in food production and food processing. Most food raw materials inherently contain microbes and bacteria that could sometimes result in food-caused ailments and sicknesses.

Steam boilers can be used in steam pasteurization of the food raw materials before they’re rolled out for use in food production and food processing. Steam pasteurization is one of the most effective methods to remove or at least reduce the risks of microbiological contamination that could come from the food raw material inputs. This is something that could be carried out more effectively and efficiently with the help of an industrial boiler.

4. Food Processing And Preparation Of Sauces And Flavors

Steam boiler applications are essential to the core functions and processes of a food production and food processing plant. What most people don’t know is that almost all of the processed food displayed and sold on supermarket and grocery shelves has gone through an application of the steam boiler one way or another. The meat and poultry used in canned goods go through some steaming, cleaning, or boiling process before they’re prepared and flavored for cooking.

Even the preparation of some of the mixtures, sauces, coatings, and flavorings of the meat portions are prepared with the help of steam boilers. In large-scale food production and food processing plants, the mixtures, sauces, and flavors are usually prepared in very huge quantities. It would be difficult to achieve the same accuracy of portions and proportions without the help of the steam boilers in coming up with just the right amounts of ingredients for the sauces and flavors.

5. Cooking, Curing, And Drying

Another essential application of steam boiler technology in the food and beverage industry is in the preparation, cooking, and processing of the food itself. Most food products go through cooking and batching of large quantities. Some of the meat is boiled to make sure they’re soft and tender. The cooking process itself employs fire and heat, and in some instances, the heat is an application produced by the steam boiler systems.

Some food production and food processing don’t produce wet but rather dry food products. Steam boiler technology is also used in the steaming and drying processes. Some meat and fish products also go through smoking processes that employ steam applications. Some food products are dried before they’re packed in vacuum plastic packaging. The drying pans and ovens also use the heat from the steam boiler applications.

6. Heating Production And Processing Facilities

Another important application of steam in the food and beverage industry is that it’s also used to regulate the climate of the production and processing facilities. Some of these buildings would be very cold during some months of the year without heating facilities. Workers wouldn’t be able to focus on their work if the temperatures in their production floors were below zero or negative.

When this happens, the steam boiler room system of the production plant could be used not just for boiling or steaming the food raw material inputs. It could also be used to regulate the climate and temperature of the building, especially the production floors and working areas. The heat coming from the steam produced by the boilers can activate the heating machines and raise the temperatures in the production plant.

Conclusion

Steam boiler systems are used for quite a number of applications in the food and beverage industry. In the plant operations of most food production and food processing companies, they perform the role of producing controlled and regulated heat.

They also perform a more direct role in food production and processing since the heat they produce is used in washing, cleaning, and sterilizing utensils, tools, pans, and containers. They’re also used in preparing sauces and flavors. They’re also used in cooking meat and other raw material inputs of food production.