Potato Chips, Crisps, and French Fries Starch Separation and Dewatering
Separating starch from potato processing water saves you money and improves your products.
Archer Separation works with potato chip, crisp and french fry manufacturers to recycle and reuse their process water by separating out the potato starch and solids. We work with you to find the best solution for your plant, which often includes a decanter centrifuge. Read on to see how a decanter, and our other equipment, can save you money and improve your potato products.
Generic flowsheet for illustration. Every Archer system is designed to its own basis; ask us for one drawn for your plant.
Starch: the hidden cost in potato process water
Potatoes are one of the world’s most widespread crops. Sold fresh, as mashed flakes, cut into chips and fries, or processed into starch, they add up to a conservative 300 million tonnes a year. Plants processing chips, crisps and french fries year-round face challenges of volume, speed and efficiency, and by-products such as debris and starchy wastewater add more.
| Water use | About 4–6 tonnes of water per tonne of chips, crisps or fries produced (general estimate); thousands of tonnes a day in a large plant |
|---|---|
| Starch released | About 15 kg per tonne of potatoes by cutting or abrading |
| Example | A plant processing 10 tonnes of potatoes an hour puts about 150 kg of starch an hour into its wash water |
| Effect downstream | Higher biochemical and chemical oxygen demand (BOD and COD) at the treatment plant, and possible fines |
Small amounts of starch are manageable, but at that scale it thickens the wash water and burdens the system. Left alone, the starch goes on to the wastewater treatment plant as an organic pollutant. Imagine rinsing starch down the kitchen drain, multiplied by many thousands of tonnes.
Use less water, and sell the starch
Can a plant use less water and stop potato starch from raising BOD and COD downstream? Yes. Better still, the starch can be recovered before it becomes a problem and turned into a saleable product. A decanter centrifuge does this most easily, efficiently and sustainably, and Archer Separation brings the experience to get the most from your investment.
We partner with a range of manufacturers and supply centrifuges, chemical skids, dissolved air flotation (DAF) systems, polymer makedowns and engineering services to suit your plant.
What Can a Decanter Centrifuge Do for Your Potato Processing Plant?
We recommend a decanter centrifuge to separate potato starch and solids for reasons that range from cost reduction to sustainability.
Product quality
Potatoes are washed, abrasively peeled and processed, producing a fine slurry of starch, fibre, water and other components. Taking the starch out of that stream improves the quality and texture of chips, crisps and fries and helps give the crisp bite you want from the fryer.
Improved consistency
Removing starch by centrifuging helps chips stay uniform. Starch caramelizes at frying temperatures and causes unwanted colour and texture; with the starch recovered effectively, chips keep a consistent, appealing “Grade A” appearance.
Water reuse
With the starch separated, the water can be recycled into the process. That cuts operating cost and conserves water by reducing the volume sent to a treatment plant as effluent.
Operator value
The recovered starch reaches up to 33 % dry solids. These are substantial quantities that can be sold to other industries, giving the plant an extra revenue stream alongside its chip, crisp or fry production.
Energy efficiency
Decanter centrifuges are known for their energy efficiency, especially on potato starch. Modern systems are designed to use as little energy as possible while separating the starch from the slurry well.
Environmental sustainability
A decanter in your chip, crisp or fry line supports wider sustainability goals: lower water use and energy consumption show a real commitment to responsible food processing.
Where separation fits in a potato plant
Built for the season
Many potato lines run hard through the harvest and storage season. The separation equipment has to reach full capacity from the first day and keep running around the clock, so we size it with margin and plan spares and service before the season starts.
Protecting the machine
Potato water carries sand and grit. Removing it ahead of the centrifuge, for example with a desanding cyclone, protects the bowl and scroll from wear and gives cleaner starch.
Generic flowsheet for illustration. Every Archer system is designed to its own basis; ask us for one drawn for your plant.
Starch recovery with a decanter centrifuge is a critical part of chip, crisp and french fry manufacturing. It raises production efficiency, improves consistency and supports sustainability through water conservation and lower energy use. As the industry evolves, technologies like centrifugation are essential for meeting both quality and sustainability standards, and Archer Separation is committed to helping you put them in place.
We understand your potato chip, crisp, french fry and other potato processing needs, and will meet those needs with the best technology available.
Related pages
Decanter centrifuges
How decanters separate solids from liquids continuously.
DAF systems
Removing fats, oils and fine solids from process water.
Polymer systems
Polymer make-down for better solids capture.
Chemical systems
Coagulant and pH dosing skids.
Food processing
Separation and dewatering equipment for food plants.
Remote monitoring
Our engineers watch your equipment and step in early.
Contact us today with all your separation or dewatering challenges. Call 604.484.4516 or use our online form.