It probably goes without saying that Europe – and indeed much of world – is facing an uncertain future when it comes to energy sources. Turmoil, war and concerns over climate change, are prompting moves by countries to become less dependent on fossil fuels, such as gas, oil and coal. But for food processors who have traditionally powered ovens using these fuels, the situation presents a dilemma on how to move to more renewable sources.

JBT’s range of electrically-heated ovens provide an answer. Adapted to enable plug-in access to renewable energy sources, the JBT range – which includes the Stein TwinDrum Spiral Oven and M-Fryer, the Double D Revoband Continuous Protein Oven, and the Formcook Contact and Combi Cookers – provides customers with greater security during unpredictable times.

JBT Stein TwinDrum 600 Spiral Oven from JBT.

“Europe wants to become less dependent on oil, gas and coal, and customers putting in new equipment are increasingly requesting machines capable of running on renewable energy,” explains Bart Kivits, JBT’s Manager for Coating and Cooking Applications. “This is not just environmentally-sound, it’s also investing in the long-term capability of operating equipment. With the situation over gas uncertain, electrically-heated ovens provide more security for the future.”

Sustainable options
Of course, electrically-heated ovens are not the only sustainable option offered by JBT. With the cost of cooking oil skyrocketing over recent months, JBT’s innovative frying solutions have been attracting increasing interest from food processors.

Due to having a relatively small volume compared to the size of the machine, the Stein M-Fryer uses up to 20% less cooking oil in the tank than competitor systems, meaning customers can make significant savings while generating far less waste due to oil spoilage. “With the price of cooking oil rising, customers can save a lot of money by using the M-Fryer,” says Kivits. “Plus, if you have much less oil inside the fryer, then the oil life tends to be longer.”

The Dry Fry System
The cost of cooking oil has also prompted an increasing number of enquiries about JBT’s Dry Fry solutions, which radically reduces oil usage and provides a healthier means of frying foods.

Designed to process a wide range of healthier food options while maintaining a ‘just fried’ taste and appearance, the Dry-Fry uses up to 50% less oil to cook battered and breaded products, as well as meatballs, plant-based and vegetarian foods. Perhaps even more significantly, the Dry-Fry enables the use of a far wider range of frying ingredients, including healthier alternatives such as olive oil, which are not fit for a deep frying process.

LEARN MORE about JBT’s electrically-heated oven concept and the Dry Fry System