A well-known hot sauce manufacturer was experiencing persistent production issues while trying to disperse Xanthan gum into its sauce base. The process involved manually pouring Xanthan gum powder into a large mixing tank and blending with a top-entry mixer. Due to the powder’s low density and strong tendency to form clumps, the mixing system struggled to pull material into the blend, prolonging recirculation time and reducing operational efficiency.
It was estimated that approximately 10% of the Xanthan gum powder – roughly $400 worth per week remained in clumps and was wasted, equating to significant annual losses at typical production volumes.