As demand for high-quality savoury snacking rises, Ginger Adnot, Product Manager, explains how MECATHERM is helping manufacturers balance precision, flexibility and efficiency through integrated handling and baking solutions
As demand for high-quality savoury snacking and prepared foods continues to rise, manufacturers are under increasing pressure to deliver products that combine visual appeal, texture and consistency at scale. For equipment manufacturers such as MECATHERM, this evolving landscape is driving the development of solutions that bring together precision baking, gentle handling and hygienic design. By focusing on the full production process – from conveying and handling through to baking and cleaning – MECATHERM aims to help manufacturers balance quality, flexibility and performance in increasingly complex production environments.
Meeting the challenges of industrial baking for delicate savoury products
From quiches and flans to mini gratins, pastries and empanadas, prepared foods and snacking products are becoming increasingly popular with consumers. However, producing them on an industrial scale represents a real challenge for food manufacturers. These products are particularly delicate to handle and must remain in their supports throughout the entire process, from dosing to demoulding, including proofing, baking, cooling and freezing.
At the same time, in the food industry, baking is much more than a step in the production process. It shapes flavour, texture, appearance and shelf life. For small and delicate savoury products, manufacturers must uphold the highest quality standards through precise cooking methods, while maintaining control across a wide range of recipes, formats and substrates.
In a sector defined by constant innovation and growing product customisation, manufacturers must balance three key requirements: preserving product quality, ensuring food safety, and delivering flexibility and performance. Meeting these demands requires integrated, versatile equipment capable of delivering precise control at every stage of the process.
Preserving product quality through controlled handling
Limiting product handling is essential to maintain the structure and appearance of delicate items. Traditional conveying systems, particularly belt conveyors, often require multiple transfers between pieces of equipment, increasing the risk of shocks, vibration and deformation.
A pan-based conveying system addresses this challenge by ensuring that products remain in their supports throughout the entire production process. By automating all of the stages that require product supports, the tray-based line provides a stable and flexible process that preserves the intrinsic qualities of each product.
Each pan acts as a stable support, keeping the product in place, reducing vibration and preventing marking or damage that can occur during transfers. The automated tray-based line eliminates transfers between different pieces of equipment and manual handling, which is a common source of product degradation.
MECATHERM’s M-UB vertical handling system further enhances this approach. Installed in proofers, coolers or freezers, it allows trays and other supports to move from an ascending stack to a descending stack through a smooth, shockless rotational movement. This design removes any risk of compromised product quality.
By automating these stages, the conveying system reduces handling requirements, which are often time-consuming and prone to causing product damage. Without the need to manually handle carts or pans, production becomes more fluid, safe and efficient.
This conveying method is particularly well suited to sensitive recipes such as quiches, pies, flans, gratins with inclusions and dessert creams, delivering high-quality products that meet both consumer expectations and manufacturers’ quality standards.
Precision in baking: achieving consistent organoleptic quality
Producing small savoury items at an industrial scale requires a high level of precision to maintain their organoleptic properties. The baking process must be carefully controlled to ensure the correct balance of texture, colour and internal structure.
Certain products, such as mini gratins, make this step even more intricate. Any inclusions must be fully cooked through, while the egg-based binder must coagulate evenly without becoming too dry. Puff pastries introduce another level of complexity: the baking method must allow the dough to rise while keeping the filling tender and delivering a crisp, golden crust with a contrasting colour.
To meet these requirements, precise control of the baking curve is essential. MECATHERM’s M-DAN oven is designed to deliver this level of accuracy through its modular construction and compact heating zones of less than 25 m², which operate independently.
Each zone can combine three heat transfer modes – convection and/or radiation – with precise adjustment of heating intensity and hygrometry. Energy input between the top and bottom of the product is also managed independently, allowing for fine-tuned control of the baking process.
This precise energy management enables industrial food manufacturers to achieve the desired organoleptic characteristics, even for the most delicate products. The oven’s design ensures that each product receives the exact thermal treatment required to deliver consistent, high-quality results.
