Chocolate Filtration

Chocolate Manufacturing is a Large and Challenging Industry for Filter Manufacturers

Chocolate comes from the seeds of a tropical fruit tree called Theobroma cacao. A weekslong process is needed to turn this fruit into a bar of chocolate.

Chocolate is being made everywhere, from South Africa and the South of France, to Taiwan and rural Costa Rica. The process of chocolate making from the tree to a chocolate bar can be broken down into seven basic steps: harvest, fermentation, drying, roasting, winnowing, refining, and tempering.

The U.S chocolate industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 0.6% over the past five years, to reach an estimated $19.9B in 2023.

The U.S. Census Bureau divides the industry into the following categories:

2017 NAICS Index Entries for 311351

311351 Baking chocolate made from cacao beans

311351 Candy bars, chocolate (including chocolate covered), made from cacao beans

311351 Candy, chocolate, made from cacao beans

311351 Chocolate (e.g., coatings, instant, liquor, syrups) made from cacao beans

311351 Chocolate bars made from cocoa beans

311351 Chocolate, confectionery, made from cacao beans

311351 Coatings, chocolate, made from cacao beans

311351 Cocoa (e.g., instant, mix, mixed with other ingredients, powder drink, powdered) made from cacao beans

311351 Cocoa butter made from cocoa beans

311351 Confectionery chocolate made from cacao beans

311351 Cooking chocolate made from cacao beans

311351 Drink powdered mixes, cocoa, made from cacao

311351 Fudge, chocolate, made from cacao beans

311351 Granola bars and clusters, chocolate, made from cacao beans

311351 Liquor, chocolate, made from cacao beans

311351 Nuts, chocolate covered, made from cacao beans

311351 Syrup, chocolate, made from cacao beans

This article is about providing the best purchaser decisions for chocolate manufacturing. It starts with understanding each process. Viking Pump is a step ahead of us and has a very useful process flow diagram which we are displaying in a static form with links to the interactive version.

Viking Pump has specialists in each niche. Joel Fenton and Tom Ertz are specialists in chocolate. This includes understanding customer needs and addressing them. Asked for an example, they cited needs to increase safety, decrease maintenance and product loss. The latest seals for pumps eliminate leakage. This saves product, but also floor cleanup and the risk of falls.

Filter Selections

There are two major application categories: one is liquids and the other is dry granular solids. The filters for dust collection from bins, roasters and mills are of the same design as for other food processes, but the liquid filters have to be unique to handle viscous slurries.

The types of filters used in liquids and slurries include screens, strainers and self-cleaning filters.

Russell Finex

Whether producing cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, or manufacturing and processing liquid chocolate, Russell Finex has solutions. There are different screening solutions suited for all the places needing them, including incoming ingredients, post conch, post enrober, rework or tanker loading and unloading. Self-cleaning filters are totally enclosed, automatic, high-capacity screening to keep operators and environment safe. The company also offers vibratory sieve solutions for more difficult or heavily contaminated batches.

With its versatile range, the filter improves product quality by removing oversize contamination from 15 microns or above. The filter does not require filter bags or cartridges, which offers significant reductions in wasted product.

Saniclean

Chocolate is filtered to ensure a high-quality finished product free of contaminants. Additionally, because of different global consistency standards, there is a need for filtration systems capable of handling diverse raw materials. These are just a few ways 3A certified strainers are used in chocolate processing.

• Filtering virgin chocolate after conching

• Tanker loading and unloading

• Filtering reclaimed chocolate after it drips off of candies with centers

• Filtering reworked chocolate to remove contaminations like foil wrappers, nuts and almonds

Filtering chocolate not only affects taste but also ensures product safety and quality and reduces the potential for product recalls.

SaniClean Strainers are suitable for a wide range of applications, from small batch runs to 24/7 continuous production cycles. Strainers are available in varying capacities from creeping flow rates to high-volume production outputs. They are easily integrated into new or existing piping configurations. Standard material of construction is 316L; other corrosion resistant alloys are available for handling highly corrosive fluids.

Eaton

A global chocolate manufacturer discovered challenges in its liquid chocolate filtration system which included filtering the products in an open environment. Decreased productivity and product quality forced the company to look for a better solution.

The solution was to replace the vibrating gravity screen with an Eaton DCF-800 mechanically cleaned filter.

The DCF-800 mechanically cleaned filter increased efficiency and enhanced the quality of the end product. Higher flow rates resulted in increased productivity, reduced contaminants and both labor and material savings.

Several more benefits, included:

• Increased burst strength of 150 psi compared to 110 psi in the customer’s former system

• Improved plant working conditions due to quieter, enclosed system

• More efficient use of space due to the filter’s compact design

• Virtually maintenance-free operations and less frequent replacement of parts resulting from fewer moving parts

Filtration of chocolate is challenging but there are solutions which enhance productivity while reducing maintenance.

Note: Link to the interactive chocolate process map: vikingpump. com/chocolate

North American Filtration Enhances Green Solutions with Acquisition of Filtrex Incorporated

North American Filtration (NAF), a leading manufacturer and distributor of commercial pool filtration, chemical feed equipment and chemicals, announced the acquisition of Filtrex Incorporated. Filtrex is a prominent manufacturer of regenerative media filter systems and components.

The integration of Filtrex’s filtration technology embodies NAF’s commitment to delivering industry-leading, eco-conscious solutions. “This acquisition marks a new era of innovation and reinforces our shared commitment to a greener future,” said Chris Tedeschi, President of NAF’s Aquatics Division.

Ron Neugold, former President of Filtrex, expressed enthusiasm for the acquisition, stating, “We are thrilled to have Filtrex join the NAF family of companies. We believe that the combined knowledge, expertise, and resources will lead to continued product innovation and customer satisfaction.” www.northamericanfiltration.com

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP

Toray Expands Air Filter Business in India

Toray Industries, Inc., announced that a new facility at subsidiary Toray Industries (India) Private Limited began producing air filters in October. These offerings for air purifiers and automotive and building air conditioners and air conditioners minimize pressure losses while delivering high dust collection efficiency.

This is the first facility in India to integrate the production of everything from nonwoven fabrics for high-performance filter media through filter assembly. It has joined Toray Fibers (Nantong) Co., Ltd., in China, which makes nonwoven fabrics for air filters, in supplying the global market. www.toray.com

LiqTech Enters Distribution Agreement with Waterco

LiqTech International, Inc., a clean technology company that manufactures and markets highly specialized filtration products and systems, announced it has entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with Waterco for the distribution of LiqTech’s Aqua Solution® swimming pool water filtration systems covering Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and the Pacific Islands. Waterco is a well-established player in the swimming pool market and has worked with LiqTech successfully in the past three years to bring solutions to their joint customers. This agreement is aimed to elevate the collaboration between LiqTech and Waterco. www.liquitech.com

U-Air Joins the MANN+HUMMEL Group

The MANN+HUMMEL Group announced the closing of the acquisition of a majority stake in Suzhou U-Air Environmental Technology (“U-Air”). This strategic move reinforces MANN+HUMMEL’s commitment to meeting the rising global demand for cleaner air solutions and strengthens its footprint in the growing Chinese and Southeast Asian air filtration market.

The acquisition of U-Air, one of the largest Chinese filtration manufacturers known for its high-quality air filtration products, marks a significant milestone for MANN+HUMMEL. For one of the leading filtration technology companies, the investment means accelerating its global reach and gaining new opportunities as U-Air is serving diverse markets. The U-Air teams and customers will benefit from MANN+HUMMEL’s global reach and infrastructure as the filtration company already has a very strong presence in the Chinese Automotive sector.

While the acquisition has been completed on October 31st, 2023, the public registration in China is still in progress. The U-Air portfolio will complement MANN+HUMMEL’s existing air filtration business within the Life Sciences & Environment unit. MANN+HUMMEL and U-Air are fully committed to ensuring a smooth implementation of this transaction for the benefit of their customers and suppliers. www.mann-hummel.com

NX Filtration Supplies Beer Filtration Membranes to Carlsberg Fredericia in Denmark

NX Filtration, the global provider of breakthrough filtration technology, has supplied its membranes to Carlsberg’s Fredericia brewery in Denmark, one of the largest breweries in Europe, that has a strong focus on process optimization and sustainability. NX Filtration’s microfiltration membranes are being used to further improve performance and sustainability of Carlsberg’s flagship brewery.

NX Filtration is among the few suppliers of hollow fiber microfiltration membranes to the beer industry globally. Microfiltration offers a superior alternativefortraditionalfiltrationmethod(diatomaceousearth) because of its higher and more constant quality, lower energy use, the possibility of continuous operation and the avoidance of environmental impact.

For Carlsberg’s Fredericia brewery, NX Filtration supplied its microfiltration modules to further optimize the beer filtration process in the brewery. NX Filtration’s membrane modules offer the highest quality and unique characteristics in terms of robustness, energy and chemical consumption, costs, and operability and handling. www.nxfiltration.com

Medicom Inaugurates New Mask Filter Plant in Canada

Medicom Group, one of the world’s leading providers of infection prevention and control solutions, celebrated the official inauguration of its new mask filter plant, Meltech Innovation in Saint-Eustache, Canada. The meltblown polypropylene component of surgical and respiratory masks, which acts as a filter for harmful particles, will be the plant’s main output.

The total investment of close to $50 million, will also create 26 skilled jobs. Meltblown polyproplylene was one of the materials facing a worldwide shortage during the pandemic. Given the highly strategic nature of the project, the Government of Canada has committed to investing up to $29 million through the Strategic Innovation Fund.

Attached to the plant is a unique innovation center with a main focus on designing the next generation of greener, more sophisticated, and more efficient filters in terms of breathability and protection. However, R&D for medical purposes will only be part of the output as Meltech will also develop products that can be used for air filtration, membrane filtration, battery separators, supercapacitors and more. All of this will be done with a view to marketing and exporting. www.medicom.com

Madison Names Jonathan M. Pratt to lead Filtration Group

Madison Industries, one of the world’s largest privately held companies, announced that it has named Jonathan M. Pratt President and CEO of Filtration Group. As CEO, Pratt will partner with the Filtration Group team to establish a growth culture and drive operational excellence as the organization continues its mission to make the world safer, healthier and more productive.

Prior to joining Filtration Group, Pratt served as senior vice president of the $2.5 billion Waters Division of Waters Corporation, an analytical laboratory instrument and software company. Prior to joining Waters, he led Danaher’s Beckman Coulter Life Sciences operating company, a leading provider of instruments and services to the life science research and industrial markets with revenues of over $1 billion. At Pall Corporation, Pratt was responsible for a $0.5 billion global portfolio of food & beverage, laboratory and bioprocessing filtration and instrument solutions. www.madison.net

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