Prune Juice Concentration via Enzymatic Clarification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing prune juice concentrate are costly and do not consistently achieve high purity, necessitating a more efficient and cost-effective process that preserves the nutritional benefits of sweet plum varieties.
Innovation Solution
A method involving steps such as cleaning, softening, pressing, pasteurization, enzymatic treatment, clarification, ultrafiltration, evaporation, and cooling is employed, using specific temperature and enzyme treatments to produce high-purity prune juice concentrate from sweet plum varieties like President, Stanley, and Sugar, minimizing chemical usage and optimizing production costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional prune juice concentrate preparation processes are used, then production cost is reduced, but product purity and quality consistency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The production process is divided into distinct stages: cleaning, softening, pressing, filtration, pasteurization, enzymatic treatment, and concentration. Each stage targets specific quality parameters, allowing systematic improvement of product purity without requiring expensive equipment throughout the entire process.
Solution Approach 2:
The softening step is performed before pressing to facilitate juice extraction. By pre-treating the prunes with water and heat, the cellular structure is softened, enabling more efficient pressing and higher juice yield, which reduces overall production costs while maintaining quality.
2Manufacturing precision
If extended processing time is applied to improve purity, then production efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The process maintains continuous operation through integrated equipment where juice flows sequentially through filtration, pasteurization, enzymatic treatment, and concentration without interruption. This continuous flow ensures thorough purification while maximizing production efficiency and minimizing idle time.
Solution Approach 2:
Traditional mechanical filtration is replaced with a combination of pasteurization and enzymatic treatment for clarification. The enzymatic action of pectinase naturally breaks down pectin substances, providing superior clarification without requiring extended mechanical filtration time, thus maintaining both purity and efficiency.
3Manufacturing precision
If chemical additives are used to enhance澄清效果, then product naturalness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses self-generated carbon dioxide from fermentation processes to provide carbonation and freshness preservation. This eliminates the need for external chemical additives while achieving the desired clarification and preservation effects, maintaining product naturalness and avoiding chemical residues.
Solution Approach 2:
Pectinase enzyme acts as a natural intermediary to break down pectin substances in the juice. This enzymatic action provides effective clarification without introducing harmful chemical substances, as the enzyme is naturally derived and degrades into harmless breakdown products.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method results in a cost-effective, high-purity prune juice concentrate with enhanced nutritional preservation, meeting industrial criteria for acidity and production costs while maintaining the health benefits of prunes.
Implementation Method 1
carrying out the enzymatic process
Implementation Method 2
carrying out the clarification process
Implementation Method 3
carrying out the rotary vacuum filtration
Implementation Method 4
carrying out the ultra filtration
Implementation Method 5
carrying out the evaporation
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a method for producing prune juice concentrate. By the such method of the invention, a production of prune juice concentrate with low acidity and low cost is achieved by using sweet plum varieties such as President, Stanley, Sugar, and Uryani with high purity.