Pasteurisation and filling in fruit & vegetable juice production

Orange juice has a certain natural protection against bacteria and germs, because of the low pH. Various extra pasteurisation methods are used commercially. Normally, the juice is passed through a pipe next to a plate heat exchanger so that the juice is heated without direct contact with the heating surface. During the process of pasteurisation and filling in juice production, it typically reaches a temperature of 85-94°C for about 30 seconds, which is sufficient to reduce the germ count and prepare the juice for bottling. To ensure sterility, the pasteurised juice should be bottled while it is still hot. If possible, bottles and cans made of metal or glass are pre-heated.

The capacitive level switch OPTISWITCH 6500 is a good choice for controlling the minimum and maximum level of the filling tank, and pH control of the finished juice is achieved with the potentiometric sensor SMARTPAT PH 8570. If the juice is to be filled into PET bottles or cans, the volume is measured with the BATCHFLUX magnetic-inductive flowmeter, which is specially configured for use in filling systems.