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Fruit juice drinks with particulates (orange pulp, fruit pieces and diced fruit), were originally produced in Japan and imported in the 90s; today they are registering a significant growth, especially in Northern Africa and in the Middle East.

A DUE S.p.A. has been operating in the design and construction of specific systems for products with particulates for over 10 years and have developed an extensive expertise and a wide range of production and packaging technology.

This type of beverage is usually made with fruit juice containing orange pulp or fruit pieces up to a maximum proportion of 10%.

The fruit juice contains a percentage of fruit ranging from 15 to 50%, minor ingredients (acids, flavouring, etc.), thickeners (usually pectin).

The size of particulates can vary greatly depending on the kind of fruit: orange pulp particulates range from 3x1mm to 8x2 mm, while fruit pieces (mango, pineapple, strawberry, etc) range from 4x4x4 mm to maximum 10x10x10 mm.

The variable determining the selection of the most suitable processing technology is the type of packaging.
Traditionally these products are packed in cans, a container that enables hot filling, either one-shot or two-shot, with first filling performed by telescopic filler.
Even though the can is still a popular container, nowadays the attention is moving towards PET containers thus requiring changes in processing technology.
In this case most applications will require two-shot filling, with the first filling performed by a piston filler; the second filling is hot, while the first one can be either hot or cold.

Another extremely important factor is the correct preparation of the liquid containing pulp and pieces, with adequate mixing and uniform feeding of the filler.
For this purpose A DUE has developed a system which will prevent mechanical and thermal damage on the product whilst ensuring maximum flexibility, both in terms of the kind of pulp particulates and pieces and in terms of the packaging technology. This is a very important characteristic especially considering the fragility of the sacs (see fig. 2) and the need to preserve the organoleptic and nutrition characteristics of the product as much as possible.

Another critical factor is the presence of large quantities of various kinds of thickeners, which are fundamental to give the product the right texture and keep the pulp and pieces suspended.
To tackle this specific issue and supply the best solution to every individual need, ADUE has introduced several technological innovations, from turbo emulsifier mixers to distributors and in-line dissolvers.

To sum up, the various projects designed and developed over the years have shown the great variability of particulate products and of their specific needs.
The explicit interest of major bottlers has introduced new process engineering variables which make it fundamental to control every detail in order to preserve the quality of the end product and enable complete use of raw ingredients, considering the high cost of this kind of products.
Thanks to the expertise acquired in over forty years of work in this sector and to their flexibility and reliability, A DUE have earned the trust and appreciation of their customers even in such a delicate sector.

As an example we can mention the company NCA Rouiba - Algeria, who have installed a two-shot PET filling line with sacs filling/mixing using a piston filler: Their CEO Mr Slim Othmani has expressed full satisfaction with the system supplied by A DUE.