Preziosi Food, a major producer of potato chips and snacks in Italy, needed a complete solutions partner that could deliver significant production capacity increases in a very short 12-month time frame. This was due to the growing Italian snack market and consumers’ preference for affordable private-label goods.

To increase Preziosi’s production capacity from 17,000 tonnes to 30,000 tonnes of product annually, TNA Solutions stepped up to provide and oversee the installation of a fully integrated potato chip line, a cutting-edge pellet frying system, and a comprehensive distribution, seasoning, and packaging system.

“Preziosi had a very short amount of time to plan and execute the project. Any delays would have impacted the company’s private label contracts. However, working with a complete solutions partner greatly minimized the risk during the installation phase. Our objective was to ensure that each machine delivers on its promise, from the highest output level to the lowest downtime,” Eric Geling, Chief Sales Officer at TNA Solutions, mentioned.

TNA is the only global single-source solution provider capable of delivering equipment for the whole potato snack production line, which is consistent with Preziosi’s primary goal of expanding production capacity. TNA’s high-performance potato chip line includes washing, cutting, frying, distribution, seasoning, and high-speed packaging, allowing Preziosi to process up to 1,500kg/hour. The additional installation of cutting-edge pellet frying equipment in place of Preziosi’s current fryer increased line capacity to 600kg/hour.

“Despite several challenges, including the need to keep production going while navigating a complex installation process, with help from TNA, we managed to overcome these hurdles while also achieving steady growth of over 20%. Our requirements were not only cutting-edge technology; we also wanted to manage the installation and improve the plant within a strict 12-month period without stopping or slowing production. It required a lot of creative thinking from both sides,” Lorenzo Caporaletti, President and CEO of Preziosi Food, declared.

TNA is the only global single-source solution provider capable of delivering equipment for the whole potato snack production line, which is consistent with Preziosi’s primary goal of expanding production capacity. TNA’s high-performance potato chip line includes washing, cutting, frying, distribution, seasoning, and high-speed packaging, allowing Preziosi to process up to 1,500kg/hour. The additional installation of cutting-edge pellet frying equipment in place of Preziosi’s current fryer increased line capacity to 600kg/hour.

The high-performance TNA continuous frying system, for example, used patented opti-flow technology to assure consistency in each batch and eliminate rejects. Lowering the out-feed temperature of the fryer’s oil to 150°C via a double heat-exchanger reduced acrylamide production, increased color intensity, and produced a crunchier product overall.

“Our application engineer, Arnaud Jansse, oversees our Food Technology Centre. Leveraging his 30 years of experience, he and his team were able to work with Preziosi to fine-tune the frying process, ensuring each product delivered was as perfect as it could be. Following this, the implementation of our tna roflo vibratory and horizontal conveyor systems took care of those products, reducing breakages and, therefore, shards in the final package while increasing distribution speeds,” Geling added.

Multiple TNA on-machine seasoning systems (OMS) were deployed, resulting in smooth product transitions and simple operation for several products at once. This further ensured Preziosi could continue to exceed the demand and provide only the best products to its clients and consumers alike, along with five new industry-leading tna robag packaging systems.