The market for prepared foods is exploding. Walk into any grocery store, and you’ll see cases of pre-made sandwiches, salads, snacks and meals. The global prepared foods market, valued at $166B in 2023, is projected to grow to $305B by 2032.
As consumers lead busier lives—or perhaps choose to spend their time engaging in activities other than cooking—the demand for prepared food options continues to grow. Some chilled and frozen meals offer a more convenient and healthier alternative to fast food.
For food manufacturers, this can mean changing to adapt to consumers' needs. In some cases, they may need to quickly shift to a new approach to get something on the shelves to meet the demand.
As Demand Increases, so Does the Need for Versatile Equipment
With demand up and the ability to find enough labor down, having the right equipment in place matters more now than ever. Access to machinery that rapidly adjusts to new products and recipes is crucial for success.
Versatile food processing equipment designed for easy reconfiguration, reduced changeover time, and less downtime is essential for keeping up with the market and continuing to grow.
Let’s look at some of the features, applications, and types of equipment prepared food manufacturers might need, as well as how they should select machinery to keep up with requirements.
Features to Look for in Prepared Food Processing Equipment
Before considering what type of machinery is needed, here are some features that every piece of prepared food processing equipment should have:
- Multi-functionality: Machines should be able to handle multiple food products and tasks.
- Easy reconfiguration: Changeouts on the same production line for different products should be streamlined through features like toolless adjustments, automatic recipe changes, and simple parts changeouts.
- Scalability: Equipment should adapt to increased production demands without the need to purchase and install an entirely new line.
- Sanitation: Machinery should be easy and efficient to clean.
Robotic wrap cutter.Grote
Applications
The type of equipment solution depends on the application. Common applications include:
- Prepared food assembly
- Pizza topping and slicing
- Sandwich assembly, lidding and slicing
- Ready and frozen meal assembly
- Baked goods assembly and topping
Here are some examples of machinery that can address these applications:
â—Ź Slicers: Slicers should offer versatility. Product holders and blades should be easy to change so that a variety of products and applications can be sliced using the same machine. Potential applications include:
â—‹ Pre-cooked bacon, jerky, or other meat snacks onto processing belts, screens, or trays
â—‹ Pepperoni (or other meat/cheese toppings) onto frozen pizzas
â—‹ Bread crisps or cookie dough onto baking trays
â—‹ Deli meat and cheese on baked goods
â—‹ Meat and cheese sliced into ready and frozen meals like cordon bleu
â—‹ Plant-based snacks and food
â—Ź Topping Applicators: Applicators should be flexible in order to apply various items across prepared food and bakery lines, from cheese to IQF ingredients and spices. Switching between recipes or integrating multiple applicators should be effortless, maximizing production line flexibility and variety.
â—Ź Depositors: Interchangeable depositor heads allow processors to switch between depositing condiments like mustard, mayo, and butter or wet salads like egg and tuna salad on sandwiches. They can handle a variety of sauces (such as buffalo or garlic), fillings (including chocolate or fruit), and icings for prepared food and bakery treats.
â—Ź Robotics: Adding robotics can provide greater flexibility by offering even more options to automate prepared food assembly. Solutions can be configured with changes to end-of-arm tooling and program updates to switch between tasks like lidding, stacking, and moving sandwiches, as well as ingredient pick and place for alignment. Applications include:
o Feeding ingredients onto the processing line
o Picking and placing food ingredients
o Stacking and lidding ingredients
o Aligning products for cutting and packaging
o Picking and placing end products onto packaging lines
Robot wrap denesting from above.Grote
What to Look for when Choosing an Equipment Vendor
When selecting an equipment vendor, here are some considerations to keep in mind:
Holistic view: Vendors that offer a holistic process solution rather than an individual piece of equipment can help customers meet their challenges with a more overarching approach. Look for one that demonstrates an ability to provide not only fixed equipment but is also able to customize it to meet a processor’s particular needs.
Test before buying: Some vendors allow processors to “test” their product using the vendor’s equipment before they purchase to ensure it works as expected. This is often done at the vendor’s site. The processor supplies the product for testing and can be present during the tests to determine if the solutions increase capacity and quality, allowing them to produce more and fill additional orders without worrying about unreliable manual labor.
Training and maintenance: Ask questions about what happens after the sale. Is the vendor committed to a longer-term partnership with customers? Do they provide follow-up regarding training, questions or challenges that may arise? What about maintenance or repair offerings?
Lifecycle commitment: A vendor who sees the bigger picture and cares about prolonging the equipment's lifecycle is committed to helping processors make the most of each piece of machinery. What type of lifespan does the vendor’s equipment typically offer? Is machinery built to last?
How Selecting the Right Equipment Can Boost ROI
Versatile prepared food processing equipment maximizes the return on investment for food manufacturers.
Choosing the right equipment can deliver measurable improvements in multiple areas:
- Comprehensive cost savings: Using versatile equipment reduces capital expenditure by eliminating the need for separate production lines. Processors can handle multiple SKUs on the same line. This leads to labor cost savings and production footprint optimization.
- Increased efficiency and output: Selecting the right equipment and robotic solutions eliminates manual steps (e.g., slicing and applying ingredients onto food bases) to increase throughput significantly.
- Enhanced responsiveness: Equipment processing multiple food products and ingredients allows processors to quickly shift production to meet changing market demands, increasing revenue opportunities.
- Long-term benefits: Using the same equipment brings additional advantages, including simplifying employee training, maintenance, and managing aftermarket parts. These improvements directly affect a processor’s ongoing operations and lower total cost of ownership.
- Quick and easy sanitation: Open channel frames and minimal moving parts design allow full access for thorough cleaning and maintenance without any tools. Easy access to every component ensures efficient sanitation, significantly reducing downtime.
Food Processors Need to Stay Ready to Adjust to the Changes
In the ever-changing prepared food industry, versatile equipment solutions allow processors to adapt quickly to market shifts, launch new products, and seize opportunities.
As the prepared food market continues to grow, manufacturers should carefully consider their potential needs and select vendors they can work with to meet demands.
Andy Schneider is a director for Grote Company; he leads sales and service teams for North and South America and Australia.
