Rice cooked in a trice, thanks to innovation centre

North west food process engineering company BCH is at the leading edge of process technology, thanks to its innovation centre.

It comes up with solutions to mixing and blending, cooking and cooling problems, as well resolving difficulties in cutting, extruding and enrobing food and confectionery.

Since opening four years ago, the centre has come up with innovations such as ice pigging, rice cooking and cooling systems, four-colour extrusion and FlexiChef 100 recipe systems.

Aimed at the ready meals market, the BCH EasiChef rice cooking and cooling system cooks final moisture in basmati and long grain rice recipes, which are then vacuum cooled to chilled storage temperatures in the shortest possible time.

The centre has demonstrated how technology can be used in areas such as chilled, frozen and ready meals, as well as for jams, preserves and fruit topping.

The centre uses its food science, mechanical engineering and automation skills to develop ideas from prototype to full production.

Contact: BCH,​

Tel: 01706 852122​

EasiChef rice cooking (above left) was developed at BCH's innovation centre (above right)​