Wornick Foods Cuts Water Use 80% with Cooling System

Wornick Foods, a manufacturer of convenience foods and military rations, says it reduced its water usage by 80 percent and improved the quality of its products using a new water reclamation system.

The system captures, stores and cools water in a high-tech closed loop system that rapidly cools food at the end of the cooking cycle. This system increases process capacity, and food quality benefits from the shorter cycle times of the process, Wornick said.

One million gallons of water per day is now recycled and treated through the new chilling process, a multi-million dollar project. By using less water on a daily basis, Wornick says it is achieving a cost savings while helping the Metropolitan Sewer District of Cincinnati (MSD) free up its sewer line capacity.

“Now, through the recycling of our process water and new chilling capacity, we have reduced the amount of water we purchase in addition to the amount we discharge into MSD sewers,” vice president of operations Michael Hyche said. “This has resulted in a significant annual cost savings for the company.”

“Wornick Foods is committed to investing in technology and sustainable solutions that enable us to produce the highest quality shelf stable food products,” president and CEO Jon Geisler said. “The capital investments supporting these improvements to our retort process are consistent with our sustainability initiatives and focus on improving the quality and taste of our food.”

Ohio-based Wornick Foods supplies convenience foods and meals to institutional customers including the U.S. government and large consumer product goods companies. The company’s Shelf Safe foods are co-manufactured under leading brands sold in retail and foodservice outlets throughout the U.S.