Start a Bouillon Cube Making Business

   

(223). Start a Bouillon Cube Making Business

A bouillon cube or stock cube is dehydrated bouillon (French for broth) or stock formed into a small cube about 15 mm wide. It is made by dehydrating vegetables, meat stock, a small portion of fat, salt and seasonings and shaping them into a small cube. Dehydrated broth is also available in granular form.

Broth made from rehydrate cubes is different in taste from fresh broth because of its higher salt content and flavours changed by the boiling process. Bouillon cubes are convenient and inexpensive but have little nutritive value.^[1] The cubes are widely used in English cooking to add flavour, particularly in soups, stews and casseroles, as it often contains flavour enhancer.

A bouillon cube is dehydrated stock formed into a small cube or dried granules. When you want to use one, you just add boiling water.

There are a range of different flavors available. I find the most useful ones are chicken, vegetable, beef and fish. You can get others including lamb, shrimp, duck and tomato.

Even before you start adding the stock to your cooking, you might find it handy to make yourself a cup of quick soup by just dissolving a stock cube in hot water.

MACHINERY

Suggested machines to begin production

• Mixer Bonals MHT 600, with fat tank and dosifying tank. Mixing cycle takes about 5-6 minutes. If the mixer is loaded and unloaded manually, the hourly production will reach a maximum of 1,200 kg, depending on the density of the ingredients.
• Granulator Bonals G-45.  After maturation, it is preferable to granulate again the powder.  The same granulator can be used to recycle pressed cubes.
• Press Bonals BR-12. 
• Wrapping machine SAPAL BN-L-2.
Together the BR-12 and BN-L2 form and wrap, calculating an efficiency of 95%: Either:
• 114 kg/hour cubes of 4g
or:
• 285 kg/hour cubes (tablets) of 10g.

The shape (4 or 10g) of the cube has to be decided at the moment of ordering machines.It is also recommended to purchase the automatic feeding system for powder, such as proposed by Bonals. This can however be ordered in a further step.
Other necessary equipment:

• Scales.
• Laboratory, according to the local legislation.
• Air-conditioning.
• Air-dryer.
• Platform for the mixer (to build locally, according to the Bonals drawing).

Electricity, air, water.

• Mixer MHT 600 and tanks: 40 KW at start. 
• Granulator G45: 0.75 KW.
• Press BR-12: 5.5 KW.
• Wrapping machine BN-l2: 3.5 KW.
• Air at 6 bars for the locks of the mixer.
• Water if the cooling system of the mixer or the wrapping machine (according to the wrapping material) are used.

The Production Process

Mixing

• All ingredients are mixed together.
• Fat is sprayed into the mixer.
Mixing room:   
• The mixer, together with the fat tank and the dosing tank can be installed in a non air-conditioned room.
• In order to empty easily the content of the mixer into trolleys or bins, it is necessary to install the mixer onto a platform measuring about 4x3 metres.
• Ideal height of the room: 6 meters.

Maturation

• After mixing, the powder must maturate about 24 hours in a room with a temperature of 18 to 20°C and humidity not exceeding 45%.
This allows:   
• Reduction of the temperature of the mix and solidification of the fat.
• Escaping of the air accumulated (during mixing) between the particles.  The result: more fluid non-sticking powder and more homogeneous mixing.
During maturation, powder can be stored in 60 litre bins, 2/3 filled, or in non-deep trolleys. It is preferable not to fill totally the bins or trolleys, in order to avoid high compression on the powder situated beneath. This also reduces the  maturation time.

Forming and wrapping 

Equally to the maturation room, the forming and wrapping room must be set at 18 to 20°C and 45% RH. If this isn't followed: 
 

Press and wrapping machines will have to be constantly cleaned.

High variation in cube weight will be measured.

Each forming/wrapping line measures: with open doors ~ 3'150 x 2'635 mm, height ~ 1'750 mm.
In order to increase the precision in weight of the cubes, it is recommended to use an automatic powder infeed system, controlled by the press.  With such a system, the forming/wrapping line will measure 5'023 mm and the height will be 2'410 mm.

Efficiency

• With a good homogeneous mix, 95% efficiency is possible. A part from the temperature and humidity control, the quality and regularity of salt particles is essential. A fat with a low melting point requests frequent cleaning.
• Considering that it takes a certain time to get from your suppliers ingredients with a regular and sufficient quality, efficiency arises with experience

Labour

• Mixer: One or more operators, according to the quantity of batches per hour.
• Press and wrapping machine:  One operator. With a perfect powder, one operator can follow several lines.
• You must of course add the staff for laboratory, maintenance and secondary packing (bags, boxes etc.).

Cleaning and maintenance

• Most of the users run their lines 24 hours per day, 7 days a week and reserve 1 shift for maintenance.
• Machines are to be cleaned with vacuum cleaners and moistured clothes.
• Never use compressed air near the machines!

This technology is available with CFTRI. For more details contact - www.cftri.com/