If you were to ask the average person why he or she loved the kinds of food they did, you would likely uncover emotional reasons behind the choice. Maybe the food is part of the memories of a good childhood or a tradition of their culture. More often than not, though, you will also find that there are two big factors that people place a premium on, even if they aren’t quite sure at the time: texture and viscosity.

Now, granted, few people will volunteer “viscosity” as a top answer when it comes to picking a favorite food! But it is vital, just the same. So is texture, and many people reject foods just on texture alone.

Several manufacturing processes can impact viscosity and texture. For example, pasteurization can make a big difference. Since the pasteurization process aims to reduce pathogens and extends the shelf-life of the product, it is incredibly important. But too much heat and too little or too much time can impact the flavor of the product down the road. The process of being pumped through the pipelines can also affect the flavor of food as well as the sanitation conditions surrounding the food! For example, mechanical, traditional mixing systems leave quite a bit of product to build up in the pipeline and on the vats containing the product, setting up a hotbed of bacteria growth and contamination. Even without the possibility of contamination, the product in traditional mixing situations can be impacted by evaporation or inconsistent mixing.

Both viscosity and texture dramatically affect both production and, later, flavor in the food production process. Fortunately, an inline static mixer reduces the need for vats or mechanical mixers, and can provide a highly consistent product that lives up to your brand’s reputation.