Mediterranean bakery, confectionery and savouries supplier Dina Foods has invested £1m over the last three years in an ongoing programme of manufacturing upgrades, as demand for its authentic foods grows.
Dina Foods’ latest investment was the complete overhaul of its pitta line in August, which is now fully operational. The pitta line is one of five bread production lines at the family company’s London bakery, all capable of making different sizes, flavours and varieties of Dina Foods’ range of authentic breads.
Dina Foods’ Managing Director Suheil Haddad explains that ongoing investment in its plant allows Dina Foods to keep reducing production costs and improving efficiency and product consistency and quality, while reducing its carbon footprint.
The enhancements to the pitta line will speed up the production process and reduce waste. Haddad comments: “We want to help our customers stand out by delivering high-quality, innovative, and healthy products at competitive prices. We are always looking at new ideas and potential enhancements in efficiency across our whole business.”
The pitta line upgrade comes after the production line which produces Dina Foods’ traditional Khobez flatbreads, trademarked as Paninette®, was revamped last year. The entire line was upgraded, with a fully automatic stacker added.
The new fully automated line, operational in August 2024, has nearly doubled Dina Foods’ capacity. Output has increased from 5,000 pieces per hour to 9,000 pieces per hour, also reducing labour costs.
The quality of the bread has also been enhanced, and downtime and wastage reduced, with energy efficiency increased, says Haddad.
Dina Foods also invested in an onsite nitrogen generator and new pipework to mix gas to supply its packing machines last year. It previously used CO2 cylinder banks, using bottles of compressed gas, which were exchanged when empty for filled gas. With gas now on tap, shelf life has been boosted and gas flushing costs reduced by 50%.
Other recent investments by Dina Foods include the installation of depth metre sensors to monitor the level of flour in its flour silos, and the rate of consumption. Fully automatic readers relay the flour holding capacity to the Dina Foods team and its flour supplier. Having this level of visibility of data reduces transportation costs, as the silos can be filled just in time. The meter also prevents Dina Foods from risking any supply interruption.
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Joseph Clarke
Editor, International Bakery
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