Processing strawberries - gently

Industrial treatment of products with particulates, such as whole or diced fruits, can be challenging for food processors as the product itself can be easily damaged.

An aseptic fruit processing plant in Oxnard, California, that produces sliced and diced strawberry in syrup used HRS Process Technology’s heat exchanger and pump solutions to guarantee zero damage to the particulate while maintaining product integrity and shape.

The system, which includes a DTA-series heat exchanger and a BP8 and BP10 pump, processes 4 tonnes/h of aseptic sliced and diced strawberry in syrup.

Designed to overcome many challenges associated with traditional pumps, HRS’s BP-series reciprocating positive-displacement pump is a hydraulically operated pump that delivers high flow rates and high pressure drop. The pump’s hygienic design makes it suitable for food processing applications, especially for particulate and low shear rate products.

Featuring large dimple corrugated tubes, HRS’s DTA-series heat exchangers are suitable for other food applications. The movement of the product generated by the corrugated tubes ensures the gentle agitation of the product through the tube and guarantees the thermal process without degrading the product and keeping the product intact.

“Chopped fruit and vegetables, which are aseptically packed in a convenient, ready-to-use form, have become very popular for commercial use,” said Carlos Cobian, General Manager, HRS Process Technology. “The reason for this lies in their high added value compared to canned products and their ease of use for transformation companies that use them for commercial production of convenience foods.

“The success of our technology for fruit diced aseptic plants is based on our corrugated double tube heat exchangers, piston pump and our aseptic filler. Combining them makes it possible to process the fruit pulp and puree, minimising the undesirable thermal effects and gets a reliable, hygienic and well-controlled filling process.”