Citrus processing

Washing and sorting

Fresh fruits are received in the Bertuzzi washer InoxAll where, by immersion in the water and thanks to a Jet System, the surface of the fruits is washed. Fruits are then rinsed by a shower of fresh water on the elevator that takes to the subsequent sorting operations.
In order to guarantee the best quality of the final products, rotten and unripe fruits must be discarded. Our universal sorting line Selinox allows to efficiently inspect the fruits, by making them slowly rotate on a roller belt conveyor under the sight of the operators.
If essential oil has to be extracted from peels, it is advisable to intensively clean the fruits with a brushing machine right after the sorting operation.

Essential oil extraction

For the extraction of essential oils from whole citrus fruits, Bertuzzi has designed CitroRap, which scrapes the peel by rotating rollers. Designed in several versions for different hourly capacities, CitroRap allows to optimize the oil extraction cycles by varying the fruit advancing speed, as well as the rollers rotation speed.

Juice extraction with CitroEvolution³

Bertuzzi provides two different models of industrial citrus juicers, one best fitted for the production of high quality fresh juice and the other best fitted for the production of juice to be concentrated.

The extractor that is most preferred for the production of high quality juice is CitroEvolution³. In order to minimize any contact between pulp and peels, this machine presses each fruit individually between two cups, squeezing the pulp out of a small hole pierced on its bottom side. The same machine refines the pulp coming from the fruits in order to remove seeds and reduce its high fiber content. CitroEvolution³ is capable of processing up to 15.000 fruits per hour and it is suitable for oranges, grapefruits, lemons and almost any kind of citrus.

Click to see more information on the CitroEvolution³

Juice extraction with Citrotal

On the other hand, our roller juicer Citrotal is best suited for the production of juice to be concentrated. It can process any kind of citrus fruits without grading (calibrating) and it features a very high productivity. In order to prevent the essential oils contained in the peels (and any chemicals that have been possibly absorbed) to get into the juice, it is highly recommended to throughly scrapes the peels with CitroRap before feeding them to Citrotal.

Juice refining

Citrus juice coming from the extractors can be depulped in order to meet customers' requirements for pulp content. Our helicoidal depulpers model ESM and Super have been designed especially to refine citrus juice. They take the high-pulpy juice coming from the extractors and progressively squeeze the pulp, outputting low-pulpy juice.

Juice concentration

Optionally, juice can be concentrated. Our rising film plate evaporator model FlashTerm ensure low retention time and low temperatures, in order to preserve the organoleptic properties of the juice. The aromatic vapors can be condensed and newly incorporated directly into the product by means of Bertuzzi ARU (Aroma Recovery Unit).

Juice thermal treatment and filling

Citrus Juice, natural or concentrate, can be sterilizied or pasteurized depending by the specific request of the application by a tubular heat exchanger or by a plate heat exchanger.

Once sterilized the product can be filled in aseptic bag in drums or in box thanks to Bertuzzi Aseptic Fillers.

Marmalade and fruit bases

Over juice, citrus can be processed also for the production of marmalade and fruit bases for yogurt and bakery. Marmalade Fruit bases

Example: pasteurized orange juice production line

High quality NFC (Not From Concentrate) pasteurized orange juice can be produced in small-sized processing plants, with low investment costs. A depulper can be optionally added to the processing line in order to reduce the pulp content of the juice, and a dearetor can be optionally added in order to further increase the juice shelf life. An essential oil extractor can be also added upstream to the juice extractor. The same plant can be used to process grapefruits, tangerines, lemons and almost any kind of citrus.

Example: concentrated orange juice production plant

Concentration allows to greatly decrease the storage and shipping costs of the juice. Concentrated orange juice is directly sold to consumers both frozen or unfrozen, or alternatively it is filled in bag-in-boxes or bag-in-drums for storage and shipping (frozen or unfrozen) and then re-hydrated in reconstitution lines before retail.

Cleaning of the plant

All Bertuzzi lines are designed according to the international food grade requirements and to be fully cleanable by exploiting integrated cleaning procedures and systems or centralized and fully automatic CIP system. The Bertuzzi CipMatic is specifically designed to guarantee a perfect and efficent CIP of the fruit processing plants.