The revolution hummus lovers have been waiting for

HUMMUS has been consumed since medieval times, but only in recent years has it truly conquered our hearts. According to recent studies, hummus is one of the most popular refrigerated snacks in North America (accounting for 34 percent of global hummus consumption) and Great Britain (annual spend of 60 million British Pounds)^[1]. Nevertheless, hummus’ reign over our tables is only just starting: its global market share is projected to grow to 1.1 billion US dollars by 2022^[2]. However, the only drawback is that this healthy snack can only stay outside the cooling chain for a few hours, which makes shipping and distribution costly and complex. Kasih Food Production Company, a family-run business based in Jordan, has found a solution to this problem by teaming up with Ampack GmbH, a company of Bosch Packaging Technology since 2012. Thanks to the Kasih in-house technology combined with Bosch aseptic carousel filling machine, their hummus products can stay outside of the cooling chain for up to 18 months, and in turn travel further and reach more consumers than ever.

Extended shelf-life without cooling

The origins of Kasih Food Production Co. date back to 1926 when the founder – Raslan Kasih – set up the original company, Raslan Kasih & Sons. Building on Raslan Kasih & Sons’ strong reputation and long history in food manufacturing, Kasih Food Production Co. was founded in 1994. Since then, the family-run business has established itself as a leading producer of canned food, tomato paste and hummus in Jordan. The company’s mission is to offer tasty products that are free from preservatives. Consequently, the company has been looking for a new technology that can extend their perishable products’ shelf life and maintain both quality and taste. After a decades-long search, Kasih Food Production Co. found the right solution – a flexible and fast carousel filling machine from Ampack.

Offering the highest hygiene level available on the market, aseptic filling is necessary for products that need to be shelf-stable outside of the cooling chain. The aseptic process also gives manufacturers an opportunity to extend shelf-life without compromising on quality or having to add preservatives. As a result, the Jordanian company can finally launch Mézete – a global brand for aseptically packed hummus products, which can be stored outside refrigeration for up to 18 months without losing its flavor, color, taste or texture.

Mézete a global brand for aseptically packed hummus products stores fresh outside refrigeration for up to 18 months (Photo courtesy: Bosch Packaging Technology) 

A perfect match

The Ampack solution turned out to be a perfect fit for the new application: Capable of filling, sealing and capping pre-made cups and bottles on the same machine with speeds of up to 12,000 bottles or 16,000 cups per hour (depending on the number of lanes), it offers an unrivalled level of flexibility. Moreover, the customer can easily run seasonal promotions or special offers by switching between various container sizes (ranging from 50 to 1000 milliliter) thanks to fast changeover times and simplified maintenance. On top of that, the machine is equipped with a new filler comprising of two dosing stations for adding different toppings. As a result, the filling solution enables Kasih Food Production Co. to offer each product in a variety of sizes that can be enjoyed either at home, in a restaurant or on-the-go.

“We chose Bosch technology since the solutions are recognized on the market for their versatility and flexibility. Knowing the brand stands for quality and reliability, we were certain it was a perfect match for our long-awaited product”, explained Khaled Kasih, general manager and owner of the family business.

Consumers’ safety first

Keeping consumer safety in mind, the carousel filling machine complies with 3-A Sanitary Standards as well as the European Hygienic Engineering & Design Group (EHEDG) regulations, which are recognized as the most detailed and stringent design guidelines for the food industry. Thanks to these certificates, food manufacturers can rest assured that their product will be handled hygienically throughout the filling and packaging process, contributing to high product quality and ultimately consumer safety. Manufacturers also benefit from easy cleaning – a positive side effect of the sanitary design, which is streamlined to have fewer areas that can trap food and cause contamination. It is crucial for filling and packaging machines to withstand vigorous cleaning and to be self-draining, ultimately saving time and labor costs.

“Hygienic machine design allows food manufacturers to minimize downtime and product waste, to ensure consistently high product quality and to focus on what they do best – developing and delivering fresh and safe products to consumers. As a result, we can provide better support for customers like Kasih Food Production Co. on their journey towards safer food,” explains Dominik Groetsch, sales manager at Ampack GmbH.

Confident of the market success of Mézete, Kasih Food Production Co. is already planning to further expand its production line. “We gained trust both in Ampack’s filling technology and service and will definitely discuss more projects in the future,” summarizes Khaled Kasih.

More information is available online at www.boschpackaging.com or contact Dominik Groetsch

Sales Manager, Bosch Packaging Technology at telephone + 49 8231 6005-886 or email dominik.groetsch@bosch.com