The veggie burger is the vegetarian cousin of the famous hamburger. It features a patty made up of ingredients such as potatoes, peas, carrots, lentils, etc. Although the ingredients are different, the process of making the vegetable patties is quite similar to the non-vegetarian patties.
Vista Processed Foods Pvt Ltd is the supplier of the vegetable and chicken products for McDonald’s. The facility features a high tech processing plant which adheres to international quality standards. Keeping cultural preferences in mind, the facility has segregated sections for the processing of the veg and non-veg patties, with a separate work force assigned to each.
Here are the steps followed to create the savory vegetable patties at the manufacturing plant of Vista Foods in Chandigarh.
1. Fresh produce is sourced directly from the farms and transported to the processing facility in air conditioned vehicles to avoid spoilage. The logistics partner, Radhakrishna Foodland Pvt Ltd is behind timely deliveries across India.
2. At the processing plant, the produce is thoroughly washed, disinfected, and filtered for any foreign materials.
3. Once the produce is cleaned, the potatoes and lentils are cooked in large vessels of boiling water. Other vegetables, like carrots, peas, and beans are chopped and prepped for the next step.
4. After the potatoes and lentils are cooked through, the excess water is drained and they are mixed with the vegetables, spices and natural stabilizers like tapioca starch or vegetable gum.
5. The mixture is then transferred to a pressing machine which takes measured quantities of the mixture and compresses them in moulds to form patties. The stabilizers help in holding the patty together.
6. Once the patties are formed, they are baked in an oven till they are partially cooked and then flash frozen to retain freshness and nutrition while they are transported to the restaurant.
7. At the restaurant, the patty can be baked, grilled or fried before being added to the burger.
