food Marketing - Technology 1/2023

Packaging
Artisan Pork Snacks Packs Win US
Consumer Hearts
Benestar Brands benefits from efficient collaboration with tna solutions
tna solutions worked in collaboration
with the US pork snack company
Benestar Brands to develop a highly
efficient processing and packaging
line for its bespoke rinds and cracklins.
Installed in 2019, the complete solution
from tna matched Benestar Brands’
ethos of delivering extremely satisfying
products perfectly. The new line helped
Benestar Brands improve its product
quality tenfold, while significantly
reducing energy use and enhancing
efficiency.
“tna solutions has been a fantastic
partner throughout the process,”
commented Jose Gomez, Chief
Technical Officer at Benestar Brands.
“The company’s experts have a deep
understanding of our industry, while
being open to listening to our specific
challenges and finding out-of-thebox
solutions. The accommodation
of our specific needs, from footprint
restrictions and frying demands to
intricate seasoning, helped facilitate
our partnership with tna and develop
an excellent product to satisfy every
pork fan.”
From feeding to baggers –
complete line solution
Working collaboratively since 2005,
Benestar Brands and tna’s engineers
have developed the world’s most
advanced approach to pork rind
manufacturing. Every piece of the
process, from feeding & frying to
distribution systems & packaging, is
optimized to ensure better products and
a faster return on investment. The tna
batch-pro 12 frying technology reduces
rejects to less than 3%, while unique fryer
design minimises oil use, contributing to
product and material savings.
In addition, the tna batch-pro 12 fryer
system provides direct-fire heating for
improved energy efficiencies and lower
operating costs, while the accurate
and flexible tna intelli-flav® OMS 5.1
seasoning system allows for consistent
coverage without costly ingredient
losses, further contributing to a healthy
bottom line. Last but not least, the tna
robag® 3e, high-performance vertical
form fill and seal (VFFS) packaging
system enabled Benestar Brands to
efficiently pack both pork rinds and
cracklins on the same line at a high
speed.
“I have witnessed tna’s cutting-edge
approach to innovations first-hand,”
Gomez continued. “The company is a
technological trailblazer, outperforming
other suppliers on the market. What’s
more, the partnership doesn’t stop there.
tna’s exceptional training program and
remote support ensures staff receive
detailed instruction from an industry
expert – something other vendors can’t
deliver.”
Quality first
With a wide portfolio of natural, proteinrich
and keto-friendly snacks, Benestar
Brands puts specific emphasis on
delivering consistently high product
quality to its loyal customer base.
Investing in tna technology has helped
the company to extend snack shelf life,
while improving the quality with an eye
on continuous improvement.
tna was involved in the optimization
of processing and packaging from the
outset, with the pork rinds and cracklins
being fully tested at its technical
centrer facility in Texas, U.S., prior to
the equipment purchase. The toughest
products were put to the test to ensure
a consistent texture, seasoning and
flavor. tna provided guidance and
technical support throughout the entire
manufacturing process, ensuring the
product could be brought to market
quickly and efficiently.
“Our partnership with Benestar Brands
has been very exciting and has fuelled
the engineering innovation of our team,”
says Adam Holloway, tna Regional
Sales Manager, North America. “Pork
rinds have very different product
characteristics to traditional snacks
we have been working with, such as
potato and tortilla chips. We brought
the years of processing experience
in terms of treating food products
in oil baths, while Benestar Brands
contributed specific application
knowledge – two key ingredients for a
successful outcome.”
Resource efficiency
Achieving efficiency gains and reducing
environmental impact were high on
the agenda for Benestar Brands when
selecting a new production line, driven
by regulatory changes and increasing
pressures from retailers and consumers.
tna helped Benestar Brands to replace
direct heating with heat exchanger
technology, reducing energy use in the
most energy intensive process – frying.
tna installed a LO NOx burner, reducing
harmful nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions
and helping the company comply with
Californian regulatory requirements.
Thanks to its three-stage oil filtration
system, the continuous frying technology
from tna ensures efficient oil
management and turnover, eliminating
the need to discard oil on a daily basis
after every single production run, saving
costly material. The new fryer also lowers
fatty acids levels, enabling nutritionally
appealing, consistent end-product that
tastes great and has a desirable color
and texture.
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food Marketing & Technology • February 2023