Skip to main content
Fruit Juice Processing & Concentration Plant
Fruit & Vegetable Processing

Fruit Juice Processing & Concentration Plant

Part of the Kadali Africa Ventures catalogue. Send your raw material, target product and capacity for a technical proposal. Request a quote →

Product Categories

Talk to Kadali Africa Ventures

Send your raw material, product and capacity for a technical proposal.

Contact Kadali

Related Products

Large horizontal stainless-steel vessels in front of a raised platform of columns and condensers in an installed process plant

Fruit Juice Processing & Concentration Plant

A juice project begins with the fruit, not the machine: which fruit and variety, how many weeks of the season supply can be secured, whether the product is single-strength juice, concentrate, pulp or powder, the solids (Brix) the buyer wants, and how it will be packed. Mango, pineapple and citrus are widely grown fruits that processors look at for juice, and a short, heavy harvest makes plant size and fruit supply decisions as important as the equipment. Kadali Africa Ventures lists the concentration and drying part of a juice line: falling-film and multiple-effect evaporators for juice concentration, an aloe vera gel and juice processing line, and spray or freeze dryers where a powder is wanted. Fruit reception, washing, pulping, extraction and filling for a particular fruit are not part of the standard listed equipment; where a project needs them, their scope is defined in the technical proposal after review of the fruit, capacity and target product.

Concentrating juice is a heat duty on a delicate liquid, and the plant should be chosen from the fruit's viscosity, solids content and tendency to foul. A falling-film evaporator concentrates juice under vacuum with only a short time on the heated surface. A multiple-effect evaporator links several stages to cut steam use on larger daily volumes, and a vacuum evaporator covers batch duties. Concentrating cuts the weight and bulk of the product, so storage and freight per litre of juice fall; Juice concentrates made under vacuum are commonly taken to about 40-65 Brix, or four to sevenfold, and are usually stored refrigerated or frozen. The cost is evaporation energy and, where needed, cold storage, so the choice between concentrate and single-strength juice should be made against the market and the supply chain. Evaporation also carries aroma and other volatiles over with the water vapour, and modern evaporation installations recover that flavour and return it to the concentrate, so whether aroma recovery is needed is a point to raise when the flavour of the product matters. The aloe line is a separate, listed process that covers washing, filleting, filtration, pasteurisation, optional concentration and drying, and aseptic filling for gel, juice, concentrate and powder. For other fruits, the front end of the line (reception, washing, pulping, extraction, clarification) and filling are scoped project by project, and the final configuration follows the fruit, the target product and the capacity.

Indicative Capacity Range

  • 500–10,000 kg fruit/hour

Key Specification Inputs

Fruit grading, pulp yield, Brix, pasteurisation, packaging.

Technical Specifications

Project TypeJuice concentration and processing equipment; scope confirmed on enquiry
Listed Concentration EquipmentFalling-film evaporator, multiple-effect evaporator (MEE) and vacuum evaporator
Listed Juice LineAloe vera gel and juice processing line, for gel, juice, concentrate and powder
Powder OptionSpray dryer or freeze dryer for juice concentrates; feed suitability confirmed on a trial
Scoped Per ProjectFruit reception, pulping, extraction and filling lines for a specific fruit
Contact MaterialSS 316L, or another grade suited to the product; electropolished, with CIP capability on the listed equipment
CapacitySized to the requirement, from pilot to commercial duty on the listed evaporators
Scope ConfirmationEngineering review of the fruit, target concentration and capacity comes before any quotation

Typical Process Route

1

Settle the Fruit, Product and Pack

The fruit and its season, the product form (juice, concentrate, pulp or powder), target Brix, pack type and hourly fruit tonnage are agreed first, as they shape every later stage.

2

Reception, Washing and Pulping

This front end is not part of the standard listed equipment for specific fruits. Where a project needs it, it is defined in the technical proposal after review.

3

Extraction and Clarification

Juice is separated and cleared using the filtration and centrifuge range. Which steps are used depends on the fruit and on whether the result is cloudy juice or clear concentrate.

4

Heat Treatment

A plate heat exchanger and pasteuriser belong to the listed aloe line. Heat treatment for other juices is set per project.

5

Concentrating by Evaporation

The juice is concentrated under vacuum in a falling-film evaporator, or over several stages in a multiple-effect evaporator, until the target solids are reached.

6

Optional Conversion to Powder

A concentrate can be turned into powder in a spray dryer or freeze dryer when the feed suits the dryer. A trial confirms this.

7

Storage and Filling

Concentrate waits in storage tanks. Aseptic filling is part of the listed aloe line; filling for other juices is scoped per project.

8

Cleaning in Place

CIP between runs keeps product-contact surfaces and evaporator tubes clean, which matters for sugar-rich liquids that foul heating surfaces.

Major Plant Equipment

  • Falling-film evaporator
  • Multiple-effect evaporator (MEE)
  • Vacuum evaporator for batch work
  • Filtration and centrifuge equipment
  • Plate heat exchanger and pasteuriser (aloe line)
  • Spray dryer or freeze dryer, optional for powder
  • Storage tanks and aseptic filling system (aloe line)
  • Clean-in-place (CIP) system
  • PLC control panel and instruments

Plant Output

Concentrated juiceAloe vera gel, juice, concentrate and powderJuice powder, optional and subject to trialCondensate from the recovered vapour

Applications

  • Concentrating fruit and vegetable juice
  • Juice and beverage base concentrates
  • Aloe vera gel, juice, concentrate and powder
  • Pre-concentrating botanical extracts before drying
  • Converting juice concentrate to powder, subject to trial

Key Features

  • Low-Temperature Concentration

    The falling-film evaporator works under vacuum with a short contact time on the heated surface, which suits delicate fruit liquids.

  • Lower Steam Use on Larger Duties

    Multiple-effect evaporators pass heat from stage to stage, so a larger daily volume needs less steam than separate evaporators would.

  • A Listed Aloe Line

    The aloe vera line already joins filleting, filtration, pasteurisation, optional concentration and drying, and aseptic filling in one defined process.

  • Stated Scope Boundaries

    The proposal separates listed equipment from the stages scoped per project, so the buyer knows what is being supplied and what is not.

Related Products

Frequently Asked Questions

What should a fruit processor decide before approaching a supplier?
The fruit, variety and ripeness at processing; the weeks of the season you can supply; the product (single-strength juice, concentrate, pulp or powder) and the Brix wanted; the pack (drums, cans, pouches, hot-fill or aseptic); the hourly fruit tonnage; and where peel, stones and wastewater will go. Plant size should follow the supply you can actually secure.
Does the supply cover a complete juice line?
The listed equipment covers concentration and drying, plus the aloe line. Fruit reception, washing, pulping, extraction and filling for specific fruits such as mango, pineapple or citrus are scoped per project, after review of your fruit, capacity and target product. Fruit-specific plants are described under mango juice and pulp, pineapple juice and citrus juice.
Juice or concentrate: which should be made?
Concentrate has water removed, so it is cheaper to store and transport per litre of juice, but it needs an evaporator, more energy and, in many cases, refrigerated or frozen storage. Single-strength juice needs less equipment but more packaging and transport. The decision should follow your market, freight cost and the energy available. Details of concentration plants are on the fruit juice concentration page.
Which evaporator suits juice concentration?
The falling-film evaporator is the listed type for juice, and a multiple effect evaporator suits larger duties where steam use matters. For small or seasonal batches a vacuum evaporator may be sufficient. Viscosity, solids and fouling tendency of your juice decide the choice, which is confirmed in process design.
What preparation does fruit need in tropical conditions?
Ripe fruit spoils fast in warm weather, so the time between harvest and processing, shaded holding, sorting and washing all affect juice quality. Juice should be made from sound, mature fruit only, so damaged or over-ripe fruit should be removed before extraction. These points belong to the front end of the line, which is why it is scoped against your fruit and season rather than assumed.
Can concentrate be dried into powder?
A concentrate can be fed to a spray dryer or a freeze dryer where the feed suits it, and spray drying is a recognised route for fruit juice concentrates. Sugar-rich juices often need a carrier or drying aid such as maltodextrin because they stick to the dryer wall, so suitability and settings are confirmed on a trial rather than assumed.
What is the aloe vera line?
It covers leaf washing, filleting, gel extraction, aloin removal, filtration, pasteurisation, optional concentration and drying, and aseptic filling, for gel, juice, concentrate and powder. It is a defined line for aloe; see aloe vera plants. It is not a generic fruit-juice line.
What test work is worth doing before sizing a juice plant?
Fruit samples with Brix and acidity readings across the season, a statement of the target product and pack, and a trial on your own juice. A pilot trial shows how the juice foams, fouls and darkens on heating, which is the soundest basis for sizing the evaporator; ask in your enquiry whether a trial can be arranged.
What drives the cost of a juice concentration plant?
Mainly the water to be evaporated each hour, which follows the fruit tonnage and the gap between starting and target Brix; whether a single evaporator or a multiple-effect train is justified; whether aroma recovery is wanted; the steam or fuel available at site; and how much of the front end, filling and cold storage sits inside the project. Related plants are grouped under fruit and vegetable processing, with project support under agro and food processing solutions.

Ready to discuss your project?

Call or email Kadali Africa Ventures with your raw material, target product and capacity.

Get A Free Quote