• PKN's Lindy Hughson speaks with Heat and Control's Francois Cousins at interpack 2026 about the Symphony on-machine seasoning system.
    PKN's Lindy Hughson speaks with Heat and Control's Francois Cousins at interpack 2026 about the Symphony on-machine seasoning system.
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Heat and Control is using live demonstrations at interpack 2026 to showcase its new FastBack Symphony on-machine seasoning system, designed to improve seasoning containment and reduce operator exposure in snack packaging environments.

Speaking with PKN Packaging News at the show, François Cousin of Heat and Control said the FastBack Symphony OMS has been developed to address one of the key challenges in snack manufacturing – controlling airborne seasoning in packaging environments.

“This is the first time we are showing this live at a trade show with actual product running,” Cousin said. “We’re demonstrating it above a white carpet so visitors can clearly see that the seasoning stays on the product and inside the machine – not all over the floor.”

The system is designed for potato chip, tortilla chip and pellet snack manufacturers, along with other snack producers applying dry seasoning immediately prior to packaging. According to Cousin, the increasing use of spicy and pungent seasoning blends has heightened concerns around operator comfort and exposure, particularly because on-machine seasoning systems are positioned directly above weighers and baggers in packaging halls.

The FastBack Symphony OMS combines several new elements, including a redesigned powder feeder, an updated seasoning application component, and a seasoning capture system. Cousin explained that the capture system uses the moving bed of chips itself as a filter, drawing stray seasoning particles into a containment unit rather than allowing them to escape into the surrounding environment.

“We’ve taken 25 years of experience as a supplier of on-machine seasoning technology and distilled it into this solution,” Cousins said. “The focus is not only seasoning performance and coverage, but also creating a cleaner and more comfortable packaging environment.”

Heat and Control is running live demonstrations of the FastBack Symphony OMS approximately every hour at Hall 14, Stand 14A56 throughout interpack 2026.

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