Finnish processing line makes stock and sauce from bones
Coctio has launched an industrial bone broth manufacturing process designed to help the food industry utilise bone remains instead of paying to dispose of them. In addition to stock and sauces, the Coctio method enables companies to use bone as raw material for industrial fat, dry pet food, fertiliser, heat energy and natural gelatin.
The company, run by former chef Kai Iiskola, was launched last year and currently has lines installed with processors including Nestle, and is in talks with several other manufacturers, Iiskola told GlobalMeatNews.
The line costs around €2.5 million and can be installed in a weekend, minimising downtime, said Iiskola. Average return on investment is six months, he added.
'Automation'
“The process is totally the same as chefs do in a professional kitchen, but it is all under automation and makes high quality stocks and sauces,” he said. “We use an oven to roast the bones, we have cookers to boil the bones, then we have an evaporator to make the sauces. I don’t know why we are the first ones to do this. It is still using the same ingredients, fresh bones, fresh carrots and vegetables. You can make different recipes but when it is under automation the quality is consistent.”
The equipment can make numerous stock and sauce variants, using the bones from pigs, cattle, sheep, poultry and fish, and can remove components such as gelatine and fat, if required. After going through the process, bone and meat fragments remain, and these parts can be removed and further processed for pet food or fertiliser, said Iiskola, maximising returns.
According to Iiskola, reducing bone waste is an environmental and financial challenge and is an issue the food industry continuously struggles with. The automated line allows meat processors to use natural ingredients to produce a product that ties in with current consumer trends for natural, additive free products that can be used in recipes at home.
'Healthy'
“Bone broth is healthy and serves as good source for protein and many other nutrients like calcium, magnesium and Vitamins C and B," said Iiskola. “However, in hectic modern life, there is seldom time to simmer authentic broth at home, and many people turn to stock cubes instead.
“While bone broth is made by slowly simmering natural ingredients with no additives needed, stock or bouillon cubes contain a lot of additives, preservatives and salt giving them an artificial flavour and at the same time losing most of the health benefits and natural gelatine.”
For manufacturers, production capacity can quickly be expanded by implementing additional modules, such as oven and cooker modules to the manufacturing line, he added. “The bone broth manufacturing lines are delivered as a comprehensive service, including the equipment, recipes, and maintenance.”
