APPLE JUICE PRODUCTION

In a factory in Quebec (Canada), 40.000 tons of apples are converted into juice every

year. Ninety per-cent of the production takes place in October, then the juice is stored in

large tanks until it is bottled throughout the year. The production of apple juice on an

industrial scale is a set of processes that are carried out in series.

The process begins when the apples pass through several conveyor belts that remove

wet leaves and other external materials, and are stored in silos where they remain for

hours. In order not to bruise the apples, they are slowly lowered to the next step, which

is washing. The first wash removes pebbles, as windfall apples are used, followed by a

second wash with cold water to complete this step. The apples are cut into small pieces

in a crusher, and placed on grids, enzymes are added which break down the cellular

structure of the fruit. The grids are then transferred to maceration tanks where they are

left for 60 to 90 minutes. Later the juice is extracted, and the grids are put into a

hydraulic press with a filter that retains the skins. At each step of the process a quality

control is carried out. Now the juice is filtered, although the smallest particles still

remain. The juice passes from one container to another and falls into a huge reservoir

where the next step is pasteurization, in which enzymes are added to hydrate the pectin.

The last process is ultrafiltration where membrane filters with microscopic pores retain

the smallest particles. Finally we obtain the perfectly filtered apple juice.

Finally the packaging is carried out, which in this factory is done in two formats. One of

them is to pour the juice into bricks that are filled at a rate of 100 per minute. Then they

are hermetically sealed and a straw is attached to them. The other type of packaging is

in plastic bottles, which circulate on a conveyor belt, are washed and disinfected with

hydrogen peroxide in a sterilizing room and then washed with sterile water before being

placed in the filling line. Every minute 120 bottles are filled and finally labelled.

Carolina Caballero Medina