Along with the increase in food awareness, the consumers started to favour more natural products. They buy more and more 100% juices (recreated from concentrate) and NFC-type juices (Non From Concentrate, which are commonly known as direct juices). [1]
The chart shows an increase in the consumption of NFC juices in Europe. According to this data, the consumption of NFC juices increased by almost 14% in the last 5 years.
According to the European Fruit Juice Association data collected in the "Liquid Fruit Market Report 2017", the consumption of juices in Europe in 2012-2016 is as follows:
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In the years 2012-2016, the consumption of NFC juices in Poland increased by 153%, from the level of 56 million L to 142 million L. [1]
Division of Fruit and Vegetable Technology, Faculty of Food Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences conducted survey research aimed at examining the behaviour and preferences of consumers on the market of non-alcoholic beverages. Out of 105 respondents, the vast majority declared that their regularly consumed beverage is mineral water (89.5%), fruit juices (66.7%) and carbonated drinks (37.1%), which is compliant with the currently observed trends and it confirms the increase in food awareness. [2]
"The forward looking development directions of the segment of NFC juices include: mixed fruit juices – from black currant, cherries, raspberries or strawberries; juices with functional additives, such as sea buckthorn, cranberries, ginger or green tea; as well as vegetable NFC juices and beverages based on NFC juices. – The forward looking direction will be the production of ecological NFC juice - said Piotr Trojanowicz, the president of ZPOW Polkon Sp. z o.o., during the XXI International Symposium of Polish Association of Juice Producers, which took place on 23-25 May in Łódź."[3]
Increased market demand for NFC juice forces the fruit processing plants to reorganize the production process. For industrial pressing plants, this creates a problem of effective use of owned machines and devices, which were so far used for the production of concentrate. As a result, in order to remain competitive and offer products of the highest quality, the processing plants are forced to modernize their production line or to invest in a second technological line adapted exclusively to the production of NFC-type juices.
B&P Engineering specializes in the construction of complete technological lines for the production of juices (including NFC) and concentrates.As one of the few companies in the world, we provide comprehensive service for the investment of construction of the technological lines for the production of NFC juices and concentrates.
We implement greenfield investments and we carry out turnkey projects.
Cooperation with us means that the client will get:
- professional engineering support at the stage of design and development of the offer (layout, technological schemes)
- competitive prices and implementation times - production is implemented in our production halls with the total area of over 25 000 m2
- safe transport of large-size elements of the line assembly and launch of delivered devices at the construction site
- service support and 24-hour online service
Devices for the production process of NFC juices manufactured at B&P Engineering:
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As part of the section of raw material acceptance, we offer the following:
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We offer complete grinding installations (disc-type mills, beater-type mills, hammer-type mills and crushers), along with the raw material and pulp containers, properly selected pumps, intelligent control systems and inspection tables.
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This device is useful for clients who, during the production of juices, implement the process of pulp enzymation.
We manufacture tubular pulp heaters with very flexible operation parameters: temperature of the heating medium is adjustable in the range 40-105°C.
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The IPS 5.000 pressing unit is intended for application in the production of NFC juices. As the smallest of the IPS-type pressing units, it ensures fast juice pressing. The IPS 5.000 pressing unit is distinguished by a special juice pressing program, which puts emphasis on short pulp processing time and optimal pressures (lower than in the case of concentrate).
Function of the control system, which is significant for the concentrate producers, is the possibility to divide the juice, depending on the time of pulp’s stay and the achieved yield, into: premium juice (NFC) and standard juice (concentrate).
Yield – it’s adjustable and it can reach up to 94%, but for NFC juices it is set from 65% to 80% max.
If you’re interested in this issue, then you should review the compilation devoted to the control system of the IPS-type pressing units, which contains the detailed description of possibilities of the system.
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Another important device for the producers of NFC juices is a pasteuriser.
Pasteurisation systems offered by B&P Engineering are characterized by:
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intuitive control - elimination of operating errors (operation program divided into stages: washing, disinfection, production) logical protections in the control system, which make it impossible to perform production operation if the previous one has not been completed
- several levels of access in the control system - other for an ordinary operator and other for a foreman who has access to key parameters
- ensuring production safety – application of pressure raising pumps (in the pasteuriser, pressure on the side of the pasteurised product is higher than medium on the other side of the plates. Any mechanical defect of the exchanger during production won’t be a threat to safety of the juice)
- archiving of production processes and reporting (in accordance with current requirements, we archive all processes and it’s possible to generate reports of individual processes from the operator's level)
- joint control programs for the pasteuriser and distribution pipelines to the warehouse
- pasteurizers may cooperate with the bottling lines
- possibility of equipping it with degassing systems
Depending on the client’s needs, we manufacture pasteurisation systems as aseptic and hygienic.
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CENTRIFUGATION
We use centrifuges from reputable manufacturers with operation parameters adapted to the given application.
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Investment in the storage space is a significant cost factor during the construction of a technological line for the manufacture of NFC-type juices.
Warehouses constructed by B&P Engineering are characterized by efficiently developed space and modern control techniques, including the option of full automation of the warehouse processes.
Significant features of aseptic warehouses for the storage of NFC juices include:
- optimally selected thickness of the wall of juice and concentrate tanks
- deeply pressed bottoms
- surfaces having contact with the product Ra <0.8
- profiled hatches
- sampling taps - aseptic with the possibility of taking sterile samples
- aseptic fittings from reputable manufacturers
- application of universal air filters
- pressure protection through a safety valve and rupture disc
- radar sensors
- pressure transducers
- capacitive probe - as protection against overfilling of the tank
If along with the tanks, the client will decide to purchase visual control systems for the process of washing and sterilization of tanks before filling, then it will be possible to have an insight into the parameters of sterilisation, pressure, temperature and time.
The control system of NFC warehouse implemented by B&P Engineering provides:
- full control of processes implemented in the warehouse
- basic information on one page
- assigning statuses to the tanks in order to reduce the possibility of service errors
- direct insight into inventory (tank cards)
- set of useful information for each tank separately
- control of activities carried out on the tanks
- possibility to print out information regarding state of the given tank
- recording of the history of filling and emptying the tanks
- controlled sterilization of aseptic tanks before filling
- continuous control of sterility of the tanks through the measurements of pressure, temperature and changes in the level of medium in the tanks
- automation of switching the automatic valves or visualization of manual valves
- graphical presentation of possible connections with flexible wires
- supervision and control of the washing process - full integration with the CIP system
- archiving of sterilization and washing parameters
- control systems that enable the transfer of visualization and control to cooperating devices, e.g. visualization of the pasteurisation system on the panel in the warehouse and vice versa
- alarm states with the possibility of alerts on mobile devices:
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- it’s intended for sterilization and purge of the tanks
- adapted individually to the size of the tanks
- manufactured as a stationary or mobile device
- possibility to handle two tanks at the same time
The thing that distinguishes the sterile air unit (tank sterilizer) manufactured by B&P Engineering is the possibility to handle two tanks at the same time. When one tank is sterilized with the steam, the other can be purged and cooled down with sterile cold air. This shortens time of the process and due to that fact, we save the steam.
We’re looking forward to doing business with you!
Footnotes:
[1] Source: AGROindustry 1/2018, „Pogoda boleśnie weryfikuje nasze plany” (The weather verifies our plans painfully)
[2] Source: Przemysł spożywczy nr 06 2018, „Preferencje konsumentów na rynku napojów bezalkoholowych” (Food industry no. 06 2018, „Consumer preferences in the market of non-alcoholic drinks)
[3] Source: Portalspożywczy.pl, „5 najważniejszych trendów w segmencie soków NFC” (Foodportal.pl, 5 most important trends in the NFC juice industry)
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