TECHNICIAN IN

TOPIC: FRUIT PULPS

GOALS.
• Describe the general line for the preparation of fruit pulps.
• Recommend temperatures, times and humidity for pre-storage of fruits.
• Know the main chemical, physical and enzymatic phenomena presented in the
extraction and pulping of fruit.
• Describe the industrial process used in the extraction of fruit pulp.

THEORETICAL BASIS.

Pulp is the edible part of fruits or the product obtained from the separation of the fleshy
edible parts of these, through appropriate technological processes. Pulp differs from juice
only in its consistency; pulps are thicker, the peel, seeds and pulp are discarded, juices are
more fluid or liquid.
The pulps must be obtained from healthy, ripe, clean fruits, free of parasites, toxic pesticide
residues and animal or vegetable waste.
Fruits that have reached an advanced level of ripeness, without deteriorating, are
characterized by having a characteristic aroma, color and flavor and a firm texture, with a
slight onset of softening, which allows for obtaining a high-quality pulp.
The pulp is attractive to consumers for the nutrients, colors, aromas and pleasant flavors it
contains. Fruit pulps are characterized by having a wide range of chemical compounds and
present important variations in their composition and structure.
Water is the most abundant component of fruits and can range from 95% in watermelon to
60% in borojo.
The other components of fruits are carbohydrates, and in smaller quantities proteins, fats,
organic substances and minerals; the composition of each fruit can be found in food
composition tables.
The operations to obtain fruit pulp can be divided into three phases of operation:
adaptation, separation and conservation.
The operations carried out from the arrival of the fruit at the processing plant until before it
is opened, to separate the inedible parts correspond to the phase
TECHNICIAN IN
TOPIC: FRUIT PULPS
PROSECUTION
OF FRUITS AND
VEGETABLES

of suitability, in this we must take into account the classification of fruits, which consists of
differentiating and grouping the fruits according to their quality and size characteristics.
The term quality involves a series of factors of great importance for the acceptance and
appreciation of the product in the market. During sorting operations, some fruits are treated
against fungi, while others require polishing or cleaning, for which there are machines or
semi-mechanized methods.
The most important aspects of each of the fruit separation operations in the pulp production
process are described below. The peeling operation allows the peel to be separated from
the rest of the fruit. The most commonly used fruit peeling techniques are:
Manual peeling. Performed using stainless steel knives, this technique allows peeling
without using heat, with cheap equipment and little water. It has the disadvantage of high
labor costs and long operating times, which favor contamination. It is widely used for fruits
such as curuba, soursop, mango, papaya and pineapple. Another disadvantage is the loss
of pulp that can occur due to poor peeling technique.
Blanching of fruit. Short thermal treatment that can be applied to fruits in order to soften
the tissues and increase yields during pulp production; it also reduces surface
contamination of the fruits that can affect the color, flavor, aroma and appearance
characteristics of the pulps during freezing and thawing.
Blanching can change the normal raw flavor and aroma of the pulp to a cooked flavor. The
passion fruit and blackberry go from a fluid liquid to a thick one, with a slightly different
aroma and flavor than the raw pulp, due to blanching.
This treatment is recommended for various fruits such as papaya, in order to coagulate the
latex that the fruit naturally exudes when it is peeled. The grinding operation consists of
subjecting whole, hard fruits to cutting in order to break the natural structure and facilitate
pulping.
Pulped. Separation operation in which the whole fruit (blackberry, strawberry, guava), in
pieces (papaya, mango, pineapple), or the pulp and seed mass separated from the peel
(curuba, soursop, lulo, passion fruit) enters the equipment to separate the pulp from the
inedible parts. It should be done as soon as possible, after the fruit has arrived at the plant
and has received the adaptation operations.
Pulpers are usually horizontal, of different capacities; they are made of stainless steel,
stainless steel blades are used for pulping,
TECHNICIAN IN
TOPIC: FRUIT PULPS
PROSECUTION
OF FRUITS AND
VEGETABLES

nylon brushes and rubber bands. Metal paddles are used to separate very hard seeds
(guava and blackberry seeds). Nylon brushes are used to separate seeds, such as those of
passion fruit and curuba, whose black color would affect the appearance of the pulp.
Refined. It consists of passing the pulp already obtained through a fine mesh, in order to
obtain a less fibrous pulp.
Snubbed. It allows the extraction of air trapped in the pulp during previous operations. The
advantages of extracting oxygen are:
1. Reduce pulp deterioration during long-term storage; oxidation is one of the main causes
of loss of color, alteration of vitamins, loss of aroma and flavor, and the development of
microorganisms.
2. Allow greater uniformity in color appearance and quality.
3. Prevents the formation of foams, caused by mixing with air, and allows for correct and
uniform filling of containers, especially if mechanical filling is used in the process line. The
most common method of removing air is by vacuum.
Packing. It corresponds to the conservation phase and consists of pouring the pulp
obtained in a uniform manner, in precise and pre-established quantities, either in weight or
volume, into containers suitable for their characteristics and compatibility with the pulps.
The operation can be manual or automatic. Automatic filling allows for higher throughput
and lower costs due to labor savings.
The equipment used must allow for regulating volumes or weights, filling pressure and easy
cleaning of all parts that come into contact with the pulps.
Pasteurization is carried out at 92°C for approximately 2 minutes and is intended to:
1. Inhibit enzymatic reactions that cause unpleasant flavors and odors.
2. Prevent gelation.
3. Stop the growth of certain dangerous microorganisms.
In case of pasteurization of the pulp, filling must be carried out at temperatures above
75°C.
Depending on the container or packaging used, it will be sealed. Much of the guarantee of
product preservation will depend on the hermetic seal.
TECHNICIAN IN
TOPIC: FRUIT PULPS
PROSECUTION
OF FRUITS AND
VEGETABLES

Fruit pulp is usually stored by freezing at -18° or -20°C. It is a preservation system that is
very popular in the industry due to the high nutritional and sensory quality characteristics
(aroma, flavour, appearance, colour) of the pulps obtained after a period of six months or
more.
During the pulping process, different techniques are used, among which freezing stands
out; frozen fruit pulp has advantages over fresh fruit and other types of preserves. Some of
its features are:
1. Frozen pulp preserves aroma, color and flavor.
2. The nutritional characteristics of the freezing process vary to a lesser extent compared
to other preservation systems.
3. This is considered the base raw material in any product that requires fruit.
4. Freezing allows the pulp to be preserved for up to a year.
5. Losses due to rot and poor selection of fruit are avoided.
6. No cutting, peeling or collecting waste required.
7. Pulps act as regulators of fruit supplies, because they are processed during harvest
season to be used when there is little availability of fruit.
Another method of preservation is refrigeration, but the shelf life is shorter.
When thinking about quality control of a food product, it must be remembered that any
process tries to maintain the characteristics of the initial product, but does not improve it. If
you start with good raw material, the final product will be good; but if the raw material is
bad, the final product will be bad.
It is necessary to establish a quality control program that begins with the selection and
separation of fruit suitable for pulp from that which is bruised, perforated, or undergoing
enzymatic or microbial decomposition. Subsequently, once the pulp has been packaged,
microbiological and physicochemical controls must be carried out to establish whether the
product complies with the provisions of each country and is suitable.
 TECHNICIA
TOPIC: FRUIT PULPS
PROSECUTION
N IN
OF FRUITS
AND
VEGETABLES

GENERAL OPERATIONS CHART TO BE FOLLOWED AT THE FRUVER

PROCEDURE AND OPERATIONS TO BE FOLLOWED AT THE FRUIT

PRE-PROCESS OPERATIONS.
Hygiene and sanitation at the plant: Naturally, the site where disinfection is to be carried out
must be tidy and sanitized. This site cleanup begins with the arrangement of the elements
present. Follow by sweeping all the coarse dirt present on the floor and neighboring areas
such as ceilings, walls, doors, grates and traps. This cleaning is done starting with the high
areas (ceilings) and going down until finishing with the floor and the siphons.

Follow by soaping with detergent or soaps that soften and remove dirt. If there is
resistance, scrub all areas vigorously and in order. It ends with a thorough rinse. If the
operation has been done well, the aroma of the environment should be clean.
In addition to the areas, it is critical to clean the operators, materials and equipment that will
come into contact with the fruit. Then the operations explained above are repeated with the
same care for gloves, overalls and boots of operators, equipment and materials.
 TECHNICIA
TOPIC: FRUIT PULPS
N IN

PROSECUTION
OF FRUITS
AND
VEGETABLES

For greater efficiency at this stage of the process, the Institution has the fruver standard
No. 2 "CLEANING AND SANITATION OF FOOD PROCESSING PLANTS". It is important
that the student is aware of his/her work, since an apparently elementary stage like this will
be evaluated by means of microbiological techniques and tests.
Reception:

Verify the characteristics of the fruit that are appropriate for processing according to the
specifications of maturity, size and other quality factors specific to each fruit for its
industrialization.
TECHNICIAN IN
TOPIC: FRUIT PULPS
PROSECUTION
OF FRUITS AND
VEGETABLES
Weighing: Allows us to know exactly the quantity of raw material delivered by the supplier
and from this quantity it will be possible to know the percentages of the quality of the fruit
supplied. The minimum expected is deteriorated or green fruit that does not ripen. This
information can also be used to determine the pulp yield of this variety of fruit.

It is carried out with any type of scale with appropriate capacity and precision to the nearest
hundredth or tenth of a gram. The weighing method can be in the same packaging in which
the fruit arrives at the plant or by carefully transferring it to the appropriate packaging in the
plant that can be handled and stacked comfortably. Rough handling of packaging should be
avoided to prevent bruising or breaking the fruit.
Selection: This is done to separate healthy fruit from those that have already
decomposed. It can be carried out on tables or conveyor belts, with containers available
where operators can place the discarded fruit.

The instruments for deciding which fruits to reject are, in principle, the sight and smell of an
operator (sensory analysis). He must be very aware of the responsibility of his job and
influence on the quality of the final pulp. There are certain expensive fruits that, due to their
large size, can pass the test, but they must be "fixed" by removing the damaged parts as
soon as possible.
TECHNICIAN IN
TOPIC: FRUIT PULPS
PROSECUTION
OF FRUITS AND
VEGETABLES
Classification: Allows to separate between the fruits that passed the selection, those that
are ready for processing, based on their degree of maturity and the green or still green
ones that must be stored.

Here too, the most agile and economical instruments are the senses of the workers (or
apprentices). The colour, aroma or hardness of the fruit allow you to choose the right fruit.
These specific external characteristics of the fruit can be verified by laboratory tests, which
indicate a degree of ripeness suitable for obtaining high-quality pulp. A healthy, yellow,
fragrant and slightly soft guava indicates to the operator (or apprentices) that it is suitable
for processing. Size and shape don't matter here.
Storage: Can be applied to accelerate or delay the ripening of fruits on the plant. Healthy
fruits that have arrived at the plant in a fresh state can be subjected to the first one so that
they can ripen. Other times it is advisable to delay ripening for a certain period of time in
order to gradually process the fruit that was purchased in large quantities for harvest
reasons.
Acceleration of ripening is usually achieved by adjusting the temperature and humidity of a
chamber where the fruit may be stored. The conditions of the adjustment are specific to
each species, but generally they are close to 25ºC and the relative humidity is raised to
90%. In the case of climacteric fruits, the composition of the gas atmosphere surrounding
the fruits can also be adjusted.
The delay in maturity is mainly done by lowering the temperature and adjusting the relative
humidity of the chamber. There are cases where it can be controlled by modifying the
composition of the atmosphere surrounding the fruits. The oxygen content decreases and
the carbon dioxide and nitrogen content increases. In any case, the hygiene and
cleanliness of the chamber is critical.
TECHNICIAN IN
TOPIC: FRUIT PULPS
PROSECUTION
OF FRUITS AND
VEGETABLES

It is certain that the fruits placed in the chamber can be affected by the conditions that exist
around them. For this, the fruits must be placed in baskets where the gases can circulate at
the necessary temperature.
Disinfection: Once the fruit has reached the appropriate maturity, a cleaning process
begins as the time to extract the pulp approaches.
The aim is to reduce as much as possible the contamination of microorganisms that the
fruit naturally carries in its peel, to avoid high counts in the final pulp, which would reduce
its quality and pose a risk of fermentation in the distribution chain or in the hands of the final
consumer.

The disinfectants that can be used are based on chlorine, quaternary ammonium salts,
iodine and a series of other active ingredients that reach the market every day. Sodium
hypochlorite from a 13% solution is the most widely used disinfectant due to its activity and
low cost. In routine disinfection, the use of disinfectants can be interspersed to prevent the
contaminating flora from establishing resistance to a substance.
Once everything has been sanitized, the fruits in the baskets are disinfected. These can be
immersed in the disinfectant solution for an appropriate time, which can be 5 to 10 minutes,
depending on the characteristics of the fruit and the state of dirt. Dirty pineapples will take
longer than clean passion fruits.
The hypochlorite solution can have a concentration of 50 mg/Kg (50 mg/L). The
effectiveness of this solution decreases as more fruit baskets are submerged. The
suggested rotation is three batches. That is, if there is a fresh hypochlorite tank of 50 ppm
(part per million or mg/L).
You can submerge a batch of baskets with fruit, leave it for the chosen time and remove it.
Add another batch of baskets and repeat for three batches.
TECHNICIAN IN
TOPIC: FRUIT PULPS
PROSECUTION
OF FRUITS AND
VEGETABLES
The indicator of whether the disinfectant solution is still useful is determining that it has the
characteristic smell of chlorine and that it is not very dirty to the naked eye. If the solution is
left for too long, what may be happening is dirtying and infecting the last batches that are
submerged in what was once a disinfectant solution. It is technically recommended to use a
DPD colorimetric scale to determine chlorine concentration and thus control that the
solution remains at 50 ppm of chlorine, guaranteeing its effectiveness.
Rinsing: Residues of disinfectant and microorganisms must be removed from
disinfected fruit by washing it with drinking water. If possible, spray with running water that
is renewed. It is not advisable to rinse it by immersing it in water tanks that will become
increasingly contaminated.