The Chef vs. the Factory Cook
Most food producers started small. The success of the product made it necessary to leave the shed behind the house for a real production site. A problem with scaling up production is that, often unnoticed, taste and quality are compromised. Recipes undergo minor changes and ingredients are replaced, with the result that the factory-produced product is far removed from the original product. The fact that it is possible to produce sauces and dressings that can easily be compared to sauces prepared by star chefs has been proven by various sauce manufacturers.
Fresh
The first requirement is to use good quality ingredients and as fresh as possible. By fresh we mean directly from the land, not frozen or processed. The manufacturer has to be strict for this, because under pressure from buyers, there is a great temptation to tamper with the quality of the raw materials. Raw material suppliers, in turn, will claim that the cheaper raw material they supply is of the same good quality. The manufacturer must realize that the end product is only as good as the quality of the raw materials used.
The Chef and the Technologist
Also, the use of the best ingredients does not guarantee good quality of the final product. Translating an artisanal recipe into large-scale production is not easy. State-of-the-art technology and reliable production methods are indispensable in this respect. Trial batches need to be created, reviewed, and adjusted. Intensive collaboration is needed between chef, product developer and food technologist. Only then will it be possible to translate the small-scale developed sauces into factory-based production without loss of quality and taste. All this makes it possible to make industrial dressings of culinary quality. Many catering companies and caterers gratefully make use of it.
Author
Frans M. de Jong
Published: 14-01-2024