柑橘類製造
果汁生産の成功は、外観、風味および食感と、保健・安全面、製造コストとの重要なバランスを取れるかどうかにかかっています。アルファ・ラバルの機器、システムおよびサービスは、お客様が柑橘類加工工場を通じて特定の工程でこのバランスを取ることに貢献します。
オレンジの分離、濃縮、低温殺菌
オレンジ果汁を生産する場合、抽出後の果肉除去に理想的なのはFoodecデカンター式遠心機です。一方、混濁果汁の清澄化または果肉の回収には、さまざまなタイプとサイズで展開するアルファ・ラバルのディスクスタック式遠心機が広く使用されています。
密閉式分離
レモンを果汁に加工すると、果汁中の柑橘油濃度が高くなることがよくあります。果汁の品質を損なわずに、柑橘油濃度を下げる最も良い方法は遠心分離です。柑橘油の量はごくわずかであるため、これは非常に微妙な工程です。
アルファ・ラバルの密閉式分離機は、密閉ボウルの非常に滑らかな動作により、柑橘油を効果的かつ確実に除去できます。
オレンジの低温殺菌
コンパクトで熱効率の良いアルファ・ラバルの熱交換器技術は、ストレート果汁（果肉分が多いものでも）の温度調節時に最も緩徐に処理する場合にも、広く使用されています。こうしたアルファ・ラバルのユニットは、果汁中の酵素を非活性化して、微生物学的に安定化する低温殺菌でも使用されています。
芳香と油の回収
果汁の加工と並行して、オレンジから高価な油と芳香を抽出することもできます。アルファ・ラバルでは、デリケートな油乳濁液を透明で純粋な果皮油に加工できる最新式の油回収ユニットもご用意しています。
Oranges
Oranges are cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world. About 60 million tonnes of oranges are grown annually, accounting for more than two thirds of the world production of all citrus fruit. Of this, about 40% are processed into juice and the rest consumed as whole fruit.
Focus on concentrate
There are normally two focal points in the commercial processing of oranges – the juice itself and the oil extracted from the peel.
The juice is normally processed into concentrate or high-quality NFC (Not From Concentrate) juice, which can usually be sold at a premium. NFC-based juice is currently in considerable demand worldwide, and is the fastest-growing market segment for orange juice.
When the juice is produced as concentrate, equipment such as AlfaVap rising-film evaporators ensures rapid, low-temperature concentration. With the addition of a special aroma recovery unit, this gentle treatment helps make sure you get juice of the best quality.
Separation, concentration and pasteurization of oranges.
Alfa Laval is a world leader in applying advanced centrifugal separation technologies to food and beverage processing.
If you produce orange juice, Foodec decanter centrifuges are ideal for removing pulp after extraction, while different types and sizes of Alfa Laval disc stack centrifuges are widely used in clarification.
Compact, thermally efficient Alfa Laval heat exchanger technology is also widely used to ensure the gentlest possible treatment when adjusting temperatures, and also for pasteurization that deactivates any enzymes present in the juice and makes it microbiologically stable.
Aroma and oil recovery
High-value oil and aromas can also be extracted from oranges side by side with juice processing.
Alfa Laval can also supply you with state-of-the-art oil recovery units that can process delicate oil emulsions into clear, pure peel oil.
Lemons
Lemons are mainly grown for the special culinary properties of the highly acid juice and also for the oil extracted from the peel. This fetches a very high price, and is therefore much in focus when processing lemons.
The many kinds of juice that can be extracted from citrus fruit are normally destined either for domestic consumption or for processing into concentrate or high-quality NFC juice. This is not the case for lemon juice, however, because this juice is too acid to drink.
The juice is normally either concentrated to approx. 48–55 °Bx by evaporation or – less commonly – sold as single-strength juice. This juice can also be used as an ingredient in many other beverages, as it is known for its stable qualities.
Versatile revenue maximization
Regardless of whether you run a single-fruit processing operation or a multi-fruit installation, Alfa Laval systems and equipment can help you achieve quality levels that strengthen your revenues from lemon products.
The oils side
In citrus fruit processing, Alfa Laval is also renowned for equipment that separates oil from the peel. During this process, it is important to safeguard quality via the effective thermal management available from market-leader Alfa Laval equipment.
Hermetic separation
Processing lemons into juice often results in high levels of citrus oil in the juice.
The best way to reduce such oil levels without jeopardizing the quality of the juice is by centrifugation. This is an extremely delicate operation, because the amounts of oil are minute. Alfa Laval hermetic separators are able to remove this oil effectively and reliably due to the ultra-smooth action of the hermetic bowl.