Batter is widely used as a coating for deep-fried foods as well as many other products such as cakes, waffles, biscuits, and pancakes. When used as coating, the batter is typically applied by dipping, or spraying onto continuous baking drums and oven bands. Depending on the type of food product, the processing objectives and challenges may be different but one thing is certain—food companies strive to meet their requirements of consistent quality and freshness by developing innovative products, while lowering production costs and easing maintenance.
Many processed foods are coated with starch-based batters to enhance flavor and add texture—and contribute to the identity and appeal of the particular product. ‘Battering’ or ‘coating’ may be done to give the product certain additional properties, such as ‘bite’ (crispness), color or taste. The products being coated include chunks of raw or pre-processed food items like poultry, meat, sea food and vegetables, as well as extruded or molded food items. The batter coating can be applied via bath, waterfall or spray and cover one side or the complete piece. A key requirement for automated coaters is the uniformity of the coating making it vital to ensure the consistency of the batter is maintained as it is applied by the coater.