Why South African burgers are about to taste amazing
Provisur Technologies has teamed up with Allegra Foods, a South African producer of premium burger patties to the quick service restaurant (QSR) sector, leveraging decades of experience from its legacy brands. In keeping with Provisur’s motto, “Pushing Boundaries,” the two businesses are working together to enhance Allegra’s system for processing cattle.
Allegra Foods currently makes superior burger patties for a well-known South African QSR customer. Based in Johannesburg, the company’s production plant has been in operation for three years but many on the board of management can look back on a thirty-year history in the manufacturing of burger patties.
Despite its high output, Allegra employs only 65 people all the way from the CEO to the sanitation staff. Allegra believes this is possible solely due to the high level of automation provided by the Provisur system.
From the outset Provisur was an important partner for Allegra Foods.
Chief operating officer, Essop Dawood, who was with another burger production company for three decades before joining Allegra Foods, says of Provisur: “We have always used Provisur equipment. Based on my previous experience and my experience at Allegra Foods, Provisur systems are very robust and reliable. In addition, the support we receive from them has been tremendous. Our customers are very discerning. We believe only Provisur systems can produce the quality and secured supply they expect.”
Current production and future expansion
While currently servicing the South African market, the company is looking to expand in multiple directions
Essop Dawood explains: “We have the capacity to produce 1.2 million patties per day. With minimum investment we can take this up to 1.5 million to meet the demand.” According to Andreas Elia, CEO of Allegra Foods, the company is also planning to expand into the retail business: “We have developed a
partnership with a well-known local brand. By mid-next year we should be in supermarkets as well.”
Maximum output and quality
For both the CEO and COO of Allegra it was clear from the outset that Provisur systems were the ideal choice. However, it was not only Provisur’s advanced beef processing technology but also the company’s extensive knowledge and experience that laid the foundation for the design and implementation of the Allegra Foods plant.
From technological innovations and systems to in-depth knowledge of how to streamline recipes into a high-quality end product for the QSR market, Provisur experts were always on hand. Provisur account manager Heath Jepson and the project team helped plan the current site from scratch, combining machines to form the ideal production process for maximum capacity and best quality.
Essop Dawood says: “The food science and technical support from Provisur has been outstanding. Their experts arrive from the USA and help us optimise the product. Sometimes we look at the product’s biochemistry or at the meat science to make improvements. Our interactions with the food science team in
Chicago have been very helpful.”
Andreas Elia adds, “Considering that Provisur is headquartered in the USA and we’re in Africa, they have provided exceptional support. We see Provisur as an innovation partner invested in our success.”
Efficient meat preparation with Weiler Grinders
To achieve the best quality burgers Allegra combines frozen blocks and fresh meat. Provisur’s Weiler Dominator 16BG Block Grinder is used for pre-grinding of the frozen blocks which reduces raw materials to a size that facilitates blending into a homogenous mass. It is designed specifically for frozen and tempered block applications. Pre-ground meat is then sampled for lean point content. The in-line fat analysis is a key quality element before the raw material is moved to the mixers. It provides exact data on fat content and if necessary, requests extra material to reach the target range. This enables Allegra to reliably meet its quality requirements.
Efficient mixing of raw materials
After the in-line fat analysis, the product has to be conveyed to a mixer. For this step Allegra Foods deploys two of the impressive Weiler M7225 Mixers. The innovative patented design prevents the product from being overworked as very little mechanical energy is put into the meat. Weiler Mixers are fed in a parallel set up to ensure the necessary processing efficiency. These mixers are distinguished by a unique twin overlapping paddle system and an unload screw which provide a quick thorough mixing action that ensures a consistent mix of all raw materials. At Allegra frozen and fresh meat is mixed, which guarantees the best product quality throughout the process. The high level of consistency leads to the highest quality end product. These mixers are extremely robust and can be seamlessly integrated with all other Weiler equipment.
Meat flavour and texture
The purpose of the final grind is to reduce the texture to the desired consistency. The Weiler Mixer Grinder Dominator 14 used by Allegra is an excellent long-term investment for processors of beef, pork and other
raw materials. It delivers premium texture and an outstanding end product. This grinding process enhances the forming capabilities and leads to a delicious end product – a consistent burger that provides a good bite.
The Provisur system is perfectly equipped to produce the excellent product quality that Allegra is known for.
Sustainability through less product waste
The Dominator Max inline reclaim system is attached to the Weiler Mixer Grinder to extract more meat from the fine grind operation. By attaching this component, meat that is rejected during the hard tissue removal process can be reclaimed rather than entering the waste stream. In fact, up to 99.5% of good product can be reclaimed, thereby maximising Allegra’s sustainability and profitability.
Forming and final touches for the perfect burger
The VerTex 660, part of the Formax lineup of formers, is designed with the game-changing VerTex Tender-Form rotary forming technology that delivers superior texture and general product integrity. This product line is designed to give mid-size processors outstanding versatility and texture with the lowest cost of ownership.
Lower energy costs and reduced water consumption are as important to Allegra as the reduced noise of operation, which presents an additional advantage. Formax’s Cuber-Perforator tooling option speeds freezing, reduces energy consumption and delivers a faster cooking patty while maintaining more of the original size and shape. Thus optimised, the patties then move directly on to the freezing and packaging process.
Automation at the heart of the Allegra Foods plant
The Provisur Feed the Former (FTF) system is a fully automated materials transfer system comprised of conveyors. The manual movement of raw meat is very labour-intensive and carries high hygienic risks, whereas FTF automatically transfers raw material from final grinding into the former. At the Allegra plant,
multiple automated transfer belts allow the company to produce at a high volume and maintain the superior quality and consistency that is required by their customers.
Support for success
As Allegra produces for a high-volume South African QSR customer, the machines need to run successfully 100% of the time. Speed, efficiency and quality are of utmost importance. A further important factor is that Provisur is never content to rest on its laurels, but is continually innovating, especially its Formax and Weiler brands, both of which play a significant role at Allegra.
“Another aspect of the Provisur system at our site is the opportunity to improve economies of scope,” says Essop Dawood. “This means looking at our machines and deciding what pieces of equipment can be added like bits of a jigsaw to make different types of products. Versatility is very important.”
