Advanced Turnkey Process Line for Tomatoes

HRS has been at the forefront of thermal processing technology for the food, chemical, pharma and other process industries. HRS PSL has built its reputation sustainable, energy efficient range of heat exchangers and heat exchanger based systemsfor value-added engineering, manufacturing excellence and customer service worldwide.

T. K. Radhakrishnan, VP Food Systems BU, HRS Process Systems Ltd, discussed about turnkey lines for food processing. “We have introduced several technological innovations in processing of mango, tomato and other foods/fruits.Our latest achievementis expertise inhigh quality high shelf life tomato paste or puree which finds end use in sauces, ketchup and such foods.”

Tomato is an important and widely used fruit that finds its application in fresh and processed foods worldwide. It has a high nutritional value and is rich in vitamins like C, K, B6, A, copper, potassium, minerals and fibers. In India, tomatoes are widely cultivated in the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Central India.

The Indian Tomato Processing Market is currently experiencing strong growth. The majority of the tomatoes produced in the country are consumed fresh and a substantial amount is also converted into tomato paste which are again re-constituted to produce tomato sauce, tomato ketchup, pre-processed tomato powder for snacks, like chips and crackers, etc.

Some of the factors driving the Tomato Processing Market in India include convenience, urbanization, changing food habits, growth in the organized retail sector, etc. Processed tomato products such as tomato ketchup are commonly served with food products such as burgers, sandwiches, pizza, fries, etc. Tomato purees and tomato sauce also have wide applications in various Indian cuisines.

Industry always faces the challenge of handling fresh / seasonal agri/ horti produce. Fresh tomato has a quick ripening time, thin skin which makes it sensitive to handle. If not processed quickly, it is likely to deteriorate to an extent which will render it unsuitable for consumption. Plus, it has high water content, which makes it bulky to transport from farm to end consumer/ market. The need for high quality processed tomato for export is huge and makes it necessary for producers to establish better facilities for tomato processing to convert into paste.

HRS PSL provides turnkey solutions for tomato processing by offering customization depending upon the capacity of the plant. Right from fresh fruit washing process to filling of the paste in 1400 kg Bins or 240kg bag-in-drum in an aseptic environment is taken into account while developing the entire line.

For a fully integrated tomato processing plant, HRS PSL offers a hot break system with an input capacity starting from 8 ton/hr. to 40 ton/hr. or as per the customer requirement. Tomato washing requires 3 times more water in proportion to the raw input and a robust handling mechanism as well. Flume & hydraulic transportation is used to handle fresh tomato and further, washing with chemicals and sorting conveyors are used for removing unripened and damaged tomatoes and other unwanted plant remains from the harvest. The sorted tomatoes are transported using a pump and in-line cutter and fed directly in hot break within few seconds. Tomato pulp from hot break is sent to turbo refiner to separate the seeds, skin and other waste particles. Refined tomato juice is pumped into inter-mediate storage tanks and from there to a multi-effect evaporator to produce high quality paste. This reduction in volume will eventually help in saving storage space, reducing packaging and transportation costs. These evaporators are specially designed to suit product thermal stability in each of the stages. These stages are controlled by 'process recipe', which has pre-determined settings for achieving desired final brix of the paste. Concentrated product is transferred by a high-pressure pump into the HRS Aseptic Sterilizer which is fully automated with PLC based controls. This system is one of the latest advancements in processing technology and poses to be a hygienic solution. Sterilized product is filled in aseptic Bins or bags-in-drums by the HRS Aseptic Filler which is a unique product developed by HRS group. The packed product can be stored for up to 24 months depending on its storage conditions.

HRS has introduced several technological innovations in the Tomato Processing Industry, namely producing tomato paste or puree and converting tomato paste in to different sauces and ketchup. HRS provide complete end-to end solution right from producing high quality tomato paste, including producing value added products from tomato paste.

HRS Process Systems is committed to delivering services support such as design, manufacturing, automation, plant engineering, commissioning, services for customized, technical solutions to customers across India and out of India as well, that too at any given point of time.

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HRS Process Systems Limited

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