3 Reasons Plate Heat Exchangers Are Used In The Tennessee Food Industry

1. Food Safety. Plate heat exchangers are used in the food industry for many reasons, but the most important is to protect the consumer from harmful bacteria and microbes that can occur if food isn’t kept at a certain temperature. Many foods have very specific temperatures that they can be kept at safely, and quickly achieving and maintaining those temperatures is key to keeping your food safe. Plate heat exchangers excel at speedy temperature increases thanks to the large surface area of the plates themselves, which lets more of the food be heated at once, generating quick heating times and making temperature maintenance a breeze. This is of vital importance for milk, as the pasteurization process depends on these things to ensure the process is effective.

2. Food Taste/Texture. Plate heat exchangers are also used in the food industry to improve the quality of the foods that go through it. The versatility of the types of plates used can help allow beers to keep some of the hops and barley intact in the beer if you’re looking for a more earthy, natural taste. They can also help ensure the texture of jams and jellies is more consistent by keeping the entire product a consistent temperature, meaning no more clumps of hard, crusty jelly for your biscuits.

3. Easy Maintenance/Cleaning. An often under-appreciated perk of using plate heat exchangers in the food industry is the ease in keeping the units maintained and cleaned thanks to the easy to dismantle units themselves. Depending on the model, you can have straightforward, simple gaskets and closures for cleaning, or small ports for cleaning in place without using specialized pumps. You can also modify units on the fly thanks to the easy to change plates, meaning you can go from specializing in gentle product treatment to maximum thermal efficiency.