Riggs Autopack makes mashed potato even simpler

Who would’ve thought mashed potato could be complicated? Seemingly the simplest of foods, mashed potato can be a difficult customer for producers of ready meals.

Even on automated filling lines, mashed potato has historically been deposited manually, as it is a difficult-to-fill product. This has led to inconsistencies in weight, aesthetics and product positioning relative to other products in the ready meal container.

But a new depositor for hot mashed potato developed by Riggs Autopack could change mashed potato’s bad reputation in the ready meals world. In collaboration with a well-known UK ready meals producer, Riggs Autopack developed a twin head depositor that can provide semi- or fully-automatic operation.

Depositing nozzle with decorating head.

Riggs’ solution incorporates an auger for consistent feeding and also includes a depositing nozzle with a decorating head that can be customised to meet individual customers’ aesthetic requirements. It can handle multiple pack types including single-=portion meals and multi-portions of between 2 and 12 servings.

Riggs Autopack produces a range of decorating heads.

With Riggs’ depositor, meal components can be handled straight from cooking kettles and chilled storage as the systems are unaffected by temperature.

A range of effects can be achieved with the decorating heads.

Riggs also supplies depositors that can fill hot and cold liquid, semi-liquid and suspended solid goods, including a wide range of ready meal products such as soups, stews, casseroles or curries. They can deposit fragile vegetables and cooked meats in sauce with up to 38 mm cubed as standard.