When starting a biscuit setup, the investment costs, and plant design must be carefully considered. A biscuit setup will have all the essential unit operations involved in production from dough preparation, forming, baking, cooling and packaging and with a good layout and service planning, the operations can be kept clean and efficient. The costs for setting up a semi-automatic unit can range from ₹60 lakhs to ₹1.2 crore depending upon the level of automation and the capacity of the unit. You will need a food technologist for developing recipes, standardizing processes and ensuring product consistency, etc. Entering the biscuit industry with a practical ability to procure appropriate machinery, develop procedures and comply with FSSAI regulations will be made simpler with the advice of a food consultant.
Introduction
The biscuit industry in India has experienced impressive growth due to a variety of factors such as increased urbanization, changes in consumer preferences, and growing demand for packaged snacks. If you have considered joining this sector by setting up an industrial biscuit plant, this can be a profitable opportunity for you with two major prerequisites: economical biscuit setting up and an intelligent plant design. At this point a knowledgeable food technologist and a food consultant will play an important role.
Understanding the Biscuit Setup
From preparing the dough to baking, cooling, and packaging, a standard biscuit production line has several integrated sections. Every section needs to be in line with capacity and energy efficiency in addition to flow.
A typical sequence for the procedure to manufacture biscuits:
- Dough Preparation: This involves mixing the flour, fat, sugar and other ingredients.
- Dough Feeding: The mixed dough is fed to sheeters or moulders as required.
- Forming Section: The dough will then be sheeted, laminated or rotary moulded as required into shape.
- Baking Oven: The formed biscuits will be baked in gas or electric ovens.
- Cooling Conveyor: The baked biscuits will cool to room temperature.
- Packaging Line: The biscuits will be packed using automatic machines for retail distribution.
A food technologist is useful in recipe standardisation since it ensures that each stage operates consistently and efficiently.
Plant Design — The Heart of Efficient Production
A well-designed plant layout minimizes the need for labor and material handling times; provides improved production efficiency and cleanliness; and is often recommended as a U-Shaped or linear layout (depending on space and production capability).
Key considerations in plant design include:
Important considerations in plant design include:
- Segregated Areas: Separate areas for raw material storage, processing, baking and packaging
- Workflow: Avoiding cross-contamination with unidirectional workflow
- Air and Water Flow: Proper air handling system and plan for water drainage
- Utilities: Provide adequacy for electrical power, gas lines, compressed air, and water.
A food consultant makes sure the plant design is scalable for future growth and complies with FSSAI and GMP regulations.
Role of a Food Technologist in Biscuit Manufacturing
Involved in recipe development to process optimization, a food technologist provides a significant role in:
- Selecting the right ingredient and formulations
- Selecting proper machinery and process conditions
- Warranty shelf-life stability and food safety compliance
- Training staff with respect to quality control and hygiene
Food technologists also assist in the development of variants such as digestives, cream-filled biscuits, and cookies with nutritious ingredients.
Why You Need a Food Consultant
A food consultant does not just bring knowledge of the industry; it also ensures that you avoid costly mistakes. Their contributions include:
- Making market research and feasibility studies
- Selecting vendors to supply machinery and ingredients
- Layout planning with hourly architect
- Obtaining licenses and approvals from regulatory bodies such as FSSAI and your factory license
Conclusion
Establishing a biscuit plant is much more than investing in equipment. It involves proper planning of the plant layout, knowing your costs, and having technical skills. Using a food technologist and a food consultant will give you confidence that you are in line with the industry standard while also optimizing the performance and quality of your biscuits. If you are considering entering the biscuit industry, make sure you seek expert professional support as soon as possible. The biscuit industry is growing, so having an informed food consultant help you plan a biscuit plant designed by food professionals puts you on the right track to long-term growth.
FAQ
1. What is a small biscuit setup’s appropriate production capacity?
A small biscuit setup is typically in the range of 250 to 500 kg/day and would be appropriate for anyone starting up in the industry with limited capital utilization, resources, and/or space.
2. What are the major processes in a biscuit setup?
A biscuit setup would have broadly dough making, forming, baking, cooling, and packaging. All of these processes would typically be incorporated in a plant layout that is linear or U-shaped normally for best efficiency.
3. What is the role of food technologist in biscuit production?
A food technologist has expertise in recipe formulation, standardization of processes and quality control, as well as, of course, food safety and testing. The quality would refer to the taste, texture, and consistency of product made. Food safety refers to governing bodies like the FDA, that basically ensure safe food products are being packaged and distributed for sale.
