Dried Fruit & Vegetable Processing Plant & Machinery Solutions

Crates and bins are tipped onto the line and the produce is washed to remove field soil, grit and loose leaves. Stones and heavy foreign matter are taken out before the material reaches any cutting equipment.

Skins are removed where the recipe calls for it and the produce is cut into slices, dice or shreds. Uniform piece size matters here because pieces of different thickness dry at different rates.

A short heat treatment halts the enzyme activity that causes browning and off-flavours during storage. The blanched product is cooled immediately so it does not continue to cook on the belt.

Heated air is passed over the product in trays, on a moving belt or in a fluidised bed, depending on the piece size and how delicate the material is. Moisture is checked through the batch so the drying is stopped at the right point rather than by the clock.

Dried pieces are separated by size and the discoloured, scorched or under-dried ones are rejected. A metal check is made before the product enters packing.

The dried product is weighed to pack size and sealed in a barrier film or pouch, often with the air replaced by nitrogen. Finished packs are weight-checked, coded and collated into cartons for dispatch.