JBT’s system for cold-extracted fruit and vegetable juices, which is designed to overcome complications with traditional bag presses. Capable of processing everything from whole watermelons to carrots, beets and berries, the READYGo FVP offers continuous, hygienic juice extraction at up to five tons per hour of raw product.
The result of two years’ research involving prototypes and precursors, the FVP (Fruit and Vegetable Processing) skid incorporates JBT’s proven chopper pump, the FVX-5, with an external FVG flow-through grinder and a UCF110 screw finisher. No heat is applied during extraction, making the juice or blends suitable for immediate bottling followed by HPP processing with JBT’s Avure high-pressure processing systems.
Proven solution
Danny Milla, JBT’s New Product Development Manager for Fruit & Vegetable Processing, said: “The idea for this skid is to provide a modular system that can process any fruit and vegetable in a hygienic fashion. Three pieces of equipment are mounted on the skid and together provide the solution.
Unlike a traditional bag press – an accordion-like structure, which squeezes the pulped produce through a nylon cloth – the FVP does not require emptying and refilling after each batch. Instead, the FVP offers continuous processing, which is hygienic and easy-to-clean, while at the same time – unlike a bag press, which is exposed to the atmosphere – being completely enclosed.
Easily automated, the FVP can also handle up to five tons per hour, and delivers a yield of anywhere between 50% to 92% across a range of commonly processed fruits and vegetables. Depending on the product it can generate up to 20 gallons per minute of fresh juice.