Food manufacturers face constant pressure to develop new products that stand out in competitive markets while meeting practical requirements for consistency, cost control, and production efficiency. Standard off-the-shelf ingredients have limitations, which is why customization has become an important part of product development. Whether it’s creating a premix of vegetables, herbs, or spices in specific ratios or producing ingredients at particular cut sizes for different applications, tailored ingredient solutions give manufacturers the flexibility they need to bring new products to market successfully.
Custom Blending: Creating Premixes to Specification
One of the most valuable services Silva offers is the ability to create custom ingredient blends tailored to specific recipe requirements. Instead of sourcing carrots, celery, onions, and herbs separately and managing multiple suppliers, a manufacturer can work with Silva to develop a single premix that combines all these ingredients in exact proportions. If a recipe calls for 40% carrots, 30% onion, 15% celery, and 10% parsley with a touch of seasoning, Silva can deliver that precise ratio in every batch. Silva can also blend in a manufacturer’s unique ingredients outside of Silva’s product portfolio to provide an even larger pre-mix recipe, ready for use.
This level of customization extends beyond just mixing ingredients together. During the blending process, Silva can add value through options like oil coating or flavor infusions. For example, a herb and spice blend might benefit from a light oil coating to improve how seasonings adhere in the final product, or a vegetable blend could be infused with natural flavors to enhance taste. Because Silva operates different types of industrial blenders, they can properly mix everything from delicate leafy herbs to dense root vegetable powders without damaging texture or consistency. The result is a premix that’s ready to add to the manufacturing line without additional preparation.
Tailored Cut Sizes for Different Applications
Beyond blending ingredients together, the physical size and form of each ingredient matters significantly for how it performs in the final product. A soup mix needs visible vegetable pieces that will rehydrate properly, while a seasoning powder requires ultra-fine granules that distribute evenly. Silva can process ingredients to virtually any cut size specification, giving manufacturers precise control over texture, appearance, and functionality in their products. Silva’s cutting and milling capabilities include:
- Coarse cuts and flakes: Larger pieces that provide visual appeal and texture in products like soup mixes, ready meals, and trail mixes. These cuts work well when manufacturers want consumers to see recognizable vegetable or herb pieces.
- Dices and medium granules: Mid-range sizes that balance visibility with ease of mixing. Common in seasoning blends, stuffing mixes, and products where ingredients need to distribute throughout without dominating appearance.
- Fine granules: Smaller particles that blend smoothly into formulations while still maintaining some texture. Often used in spice rubs, dry soup bases, and products where even distribution is important.
- Powders: Ultra-fine milling creates powders that dissolve or disperse completely. Essential for applications like beverage mixes, flavor systems, and products where ingredients need to be invisible while still contributing flavor and nutrition.
Example: Developing a Custom Soup Mix
Consider a manufacturer developing a vegetable soup product that requires carrots, celery, onions, red bell peppers, garlic, and herbs like parsley and thyme. Working with Silva, they can specify exactly how each ingredient should be processed based on how it needs to perform in the final product. The carrots and celery are cut to a quarter-inch dice so they’ll be visible and rehydrate nicely when consumers add hot water. The onions and red bell peppers are processed as smaller flakes to distribute throughout without overwhelming other flavors. The garlic is milled to small granules for flavor without being too visually prominent, and the herbs are processed as a fine powder to release their flavor quickly during rehydration.
Silva then creates the blend at the ratios the manufacturer specifies, ensuring each ingredient appears in the correct proportion. During the blending process, Silva can add a light coating of oil infused with additional spices to enhance aroma and flavor distribution. The final product is a uniform premix where every scoop contains the same balance of ingredients. The manufacturer receives a single ingredient ready for their production line. This eliminates managing multiple suppliers and handling separate blending operations.
Silva’s Production Capabilities
The ability to deliver custom blends and precise cut sizes depends on having the right infrastructure and expertise in place. Silva operates over 20 production lines at its facility, each designed to handle different processing requirements. This range of equipment allows Silva to work with delicate ingredients like leafy herbs without damaging them, while also processing denser items like root vegetables into uniform pieces or powders. The facility is certified to FSSC 22000 standards, reflecting food safety and quality control systems that ensure every batch meets specifications.
Silva’s processing capabilities extend beyond basic cutting and blending. The facility can apply treatments like infrared heat, steam sterilization, and toasting or roasting to modify flavor characteristics or reduce microbial load through natural methods. These options give manufacturers additional flexibility when developing products that require specific flavor profiles or extended shelf life. All ingredients go through extensive cleaning, sorting, and safety checks before processing, with metal detection and visual sorting technologies helping ensure foreign material doesn't enter the final product. This quality control approach means manufacturers get reliable premixes without unexpected variations in particle size, blend ratios, or ingredient quality.
Contact Silva for Custom Ingredient Solutions
Developing innovative food products requires more than just standard ingredients. Silva works with manufacturers as a development partner, helping turn recipe concepts into production-ready solutions. Our Universal Ingredients R&D team can collaborate with you to determine the right blend ratios, optimal cut sizes, and processing treatments that will make your product successful. Whether you’re reformulating an existing product or creating something entirely new, Silva’s custom blending and sizing capabilities give you the flexibility to bring your ideas to market with confidence. Contact Silva today to discuss how we can support your next product innovation.