Tomato ketchup production line
In this article, we are going to introduce the tomato ketchup production line. If you would like to know more about the tomato sauce line, please follow us.
Ketchup sauce
Ketchup is a delicious sauce used as a flavoring alongside the main dish. The best known type of ketchup is tomato ketchup. In fact, most people find the word “ketchup” to be synonymous with the term “tomato ketchup” this definition is completely wrong because ketchup was originally made without tomato. In fact, before the tomatoes are added to this concept, the word ketchup means sauce.
There are always some types of ketchup. Two types of the oldest types of ketchup are walnut ketchup and mushroom ketchup.
The Manufacturing Process of tomato ketchup
In the article below, we’ll give a brief explanation of tomato ketchup production line.
1) Preparing high quality tomatoes
Ketchup manufacturers must seek out the best quality tomatoes for their product. Tomato varieties are developed which are superior in color, flavor, texture, and yield. Consistency is an important factor, as slight variations in tomato characteristics could alter the flavor and color of the finished product.
The fruit is commonly conveyed by water from the trucks into a flume, or an inclined channel. The water method washes the tomatoes and protects them from bruising while they pass from the truck to the factory. The U.S. Department of Agriculture or state inspectors approve and grade tomatoes to meet initial requirements. The tomatoes are sorted, washed, and chopped. Next, precooking, or scaling, in stainless steel vats preserves the tomatoes and destroys bacteria.
2) Pulping
The chopped and precooked tomatoes are pumped into pulping machines, or cyclones, which separate seeds, skins, and stems from the pulp. The pulp and juice are filtered through screens and processed further into ketchup, though some may be stored in a paste for use later in the year.
3) Cooking raw ingredients
Tomato paste at 30/32°Brix Hot Break type is being pumped from aseptic storage tanks or from 200 L aseptic bags-in-drums into the first mix tank. Drinkable/softened water is being added in a volume such to reduce the solids content down at 15 –16°Brix. The quantity of paste is controlled by a weighing station where the drums are placed.
In a separate tank the sugar syrup preparation takes place. Sugar powder is added by a warm screw conveyor and pre-warmed water is fed and controlled by magnetic flowmeter. The two products are mixed in the tank up to a concentration of 50/55°Brix and then sent to a storage tank previous filtration through paper filters.
In other two tanks the starch and salt are prepared.
Storage tanks are foreseen for vinegar and demineralized water. Finally all these ingredients are added in the quantity required by the recipes in the mixer/heater where are put directly also the microelements, such as spice, peppers etc.
After a suitable mixing and cooking time the final product is discharged into an insulated storage tank.
The final mixture (ketchup) can now be pumped by an homogenizer through a tube-in-tube heat exchanger in order to be pasteurized at 99/104°. After this, the ketchup is deaerated into an under vacuum deaerator from which product will come out at about 88-90°C ready for hot fill into the final container (glass bottles, plastic bottles, etc.)
4) Transfer to container
If the chosen container for final product cannot be hot filled at 88-90°C cold filling process shall then be used. In this case ketchup from deaerator shall be cooled down at 32-37°C by an aseptic tube-in-tube heat exchanger then pumped to the “clean room” for filling into the appropriate containers.
It is recommended that all heat exchangers are made of special stainless steel of titanium alloy or high molybdenum content due to the severe corrosion properties of the ketchup.
5) Removing air
The ketchup must be de-aerated to prevent discoloration and growth of bacteria. Excess air might also create unattractive air pockets and impede the closure process.
6) Filling
Very common is the packaging in bottles which can be plastic or glass.
In case of plastic, multi-layer polyester/polypropylene containers are advisable, more expensive, but performing better filling at temperature up to 95°C and providing better oxygen barrier.
7) Cooling
The containers must be cooled to prevent flavor loss through stack burning, which occurs when ketchup stays at high temperatures after cooking is complete. Containers of ketchup may be cooled in cold air or cold water.
8) Labeling and packing
Finally, the ketchup containers are labeled and coded with product information, including ingredients, date and location of manufacture, and shelf-life. The bottled ketchup may be inspected again before shipping. The entire process of ketchup manufacturing generally takes two to three hours.
Some tyoe of machines used in tomato ketchup line
- Receiving tomato units
- Storage tomato units
- Peeling tomato machines
- Tomato Skin separator machines
- Sorting belt and elevators for tomatoes
- Tomato fillers
- Tomato extracting line
- Tomato Deaerator
- Tomato homogenizer
- Tomato sterilizing technologies
- Tomato pasteurizer
- Slurry mixer
- Automatic filler machine
- Pulper
- Tomato juice tank
- Cooking boiler or evaporator
- Tomato paste container
- Automatic canning
- Pasteurization tunnel for cans and glass
- Thermal labeling
- Ketchup mixer
- Sorting machine
- Fresh tomato washing machine
- Shrink machine
- Pre-Heater (Hot Breaker)
Consulting in the field of launching tomato ketchup production line
If you would like to launch tomato ketchup production line or want to replace one of your machines in the line, contact us. Our co-workers provide you with the necessary advice on the construction and equipping of the tomato ketchup production line.
Also, if you own a tomato ketchup line and need to replace one of your machines, you can contact us.
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