First week on training completed

Finally, after creating my first post two weeks ago, I have completed my first week of training sessions in the kiss line kitchen. I have to start by saying that I have a new found respect for Milton Hershey and Willy Wonka. There is a lot more to making candy than I first thought. The kitchen itself is over 2,000 square feet. It’s absolutely enormous and just as intimidating when you look at everything you’re responsible for. A filled Hershey kiss has about a 10 step process before the candy actually hits the line and is ready to be wrapped and bagged for the customers. First, just the tip of the kiss is deposited, then it goes over a shaker to even out the chocolate at the tip. Then it goes through a cooler before another deposit of chocolate is dropped into the mould and a smaller mold that measures 28 degrees is placed inside of the original mould to give the kiss its outer shell. Once that is completed, the mould goes under a “licking roller” to wipe of the excess chocolate. It goes through another depositor where the filling is dropped in, rolls over another shaker and rolls into another cooler. Then the bottom of the kiss is poured in, rolls over another shaker, it’s cooled again, and then it goes under another “licking roller” where the excess chocolate is wiped off of the mould before it is twisted like an old ice tray, flipped upside down, and placed on the line.

During this process there are many things the operator must maintain. Every two hours we check for micro bacteria, chocolate temperatures, temper of the chocolate, magnetic screens, and temperature of the coolers. All of this is done while keeping up on the housekeeping, paperwork, computer checks, controlling alarms, and maintaining an allergen free work environment. To this point, I know very little details, as I have just a very rudimentary understanding of the entire overall process. Next week promises to be a little more in depth each night.