UK and Ireland will soon offer first of its kind cooking option

Interfood Technology has announced a major development in its cooking & cooling offering with the announcement of a new partnership agreement with cooking equipment manufacturer Alkar.

Alkar is part of the worldwide Middleby Food Processing Group, which includes Maurer Atmos and Colussi Ermes for whom Interfood already operate as the distributor in the UK and Ireland. Alkar manufactures a range of equipment, including batch ovens, continuous processing lines and chillers. This range includes the latest development – the TurboChef by Alkar – which offers a whole new dimension in cooking as the only industrial oven worldwide to offer microwave, convection and steam heating from a single source.

Tests have demonstrated the significant savings achievable through the TurboChef: an estimated 35% less cooking time, 3-15% yield improvements, and 50 percent less water waste, the latter representing a potential saving of up to five million gallons of water a year.

Steve Naylor is manager of Interfood’s cooking & cooling/pasteurisation division notes that TurboChef by Alkar is a linear oven but with the flexibility afforded by its steam, convection and microwave capabilities it achieves excellent yield with reduced cooking times that can exceed the performance typically associated with continuous spiral cooking.

“It can be used with a wide range of products, including bacon bits, meatballs, sausage and oil-infused crumb coated products, with the cooking of chicken in its many guises a particular strength,” he said. “The addition of microwave cooking to steam and hot air is a huge step forward.”

The oven’s 1,500 mm wide patented stainless steel belt offers high capacity, with conveyor lengths of up to 30 metres and an open wire link design which ensures optimum airflow and uniformity of colour. Flexibility is further ensured through the modular construction of the TurboChef, with user-friendly HMI touchscreen controls and clean-in-place (CIP) and automated sanitation to minimise downtime.

The power level of all heating elements (microwave, convection, and steam) can be varied to meet the specific requirements of any given product. Humidity control and balanced launch systems (front-to-back/side-to-side) further enhance flexibility and cooking efficiency.

Commenting on the new development, Uli Krȕmpelmann, sales executive for EMEA and APAC at Alkar, said in looking to set up a new partnership it wanted to work with a company that has an established reputation and a real commitment to high levels of service in the food industry.

“Interfood clearly meets that criteria, with a range that covers so many areas of food processing, from stand-alone machines right through to complete line solutions,” he explained. “We look forward to working together in introducing our equipment to the UK and Ireland, building on the success of the many varied cooking and chilling operations throughout the world that feature Alkar technologies.”

Steve Naylor concludes: “We are delighted to be introducing such an important innovation to processors in the UK and Ireland. The TurboChef by Alkar brings something to the market which has not been available before and this – backed by the service, support and industry knowledge for which Interfood is known – represents an exciting opportunity.”

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