POSTVILLE, IOWA — Double D Food Engineering, a UK-based equipment manufacturer, has modified its Revoband Continuous Oven to enhance productivity and appearance on cooked bacon.

Available through Nu-Meat, the high impingement cooker, which has the ability to cook at temperatures of up to 540 degrees Fahrenheit, is designed to produce high volumes of well-cooked and consistently colored bacon. The company’s new custom-built ‘hold-down’ belt ensures that bacon remains flat after cooking, which is critical for the quick-service segment.

"Bacon naturally comes out curly or wrinkled when cooked," says Ian Burns, Double D’s food processing development engineer. "But for sandwiches and burgers, many QSRs, like McDonald’s and Burger King for instance, want the bacon absolutely flat. The hold-down belt is positioned on top of the bacon when it’s going through the tunnel, resulting in ultra flat bacon every time."

Double D has also perfected its fat removal and Clean In Place systems, providing added benefits when manufacturing ‘heavy-cook’ products.

"Air knives can also be fitted which hold the product still while any surplus fat is removed prior to chilling or packing, leading to minimal surface fat and a much higher degree of presentation," Burns said.

"Bacon can lose around 70% of its yield when cooked, most of which is fat residue. Any liquids or fats produced during the cooking or cleaning processes are drained out of the cooking chamber through a drainage system."

These features can be custom-built to suit requirements, and can be retro-fitted on existing installations.

Double D’s Revoband Continuous Oven can be integrated with a bacon slicer positioned at the in-feed end. Pork bellies can then be fed into the slicer, and the bacon delivered onto the oven’s conveyor belt.

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