Organic applesauce produced industrially and yet completely natural? Holderhof shows how this can be done at its fruit processing centre in Sulgen. For a few weeks now, fresh applesauce has been filled into jars on a newly installed line. Depending on the size, it can fill up to 2000 jars per hour. For the time being, Holderhof has decided in favour of bottling in jars because this not only fits in well with «organic», but also creates additional transparency with the external visibility. From the start with the empty jar to the hygienically filled finished product, the journey only takes a few minutes. However, the stages that the glass passes through are technologically quite demanding. The finest engineering skills are lined up one after the other. It all starts with a carousel-like component to check the quality of the glass, as it must not show any signs of breakage or cracks. The conveyor belt takes the jars to the «filling station».
High temperatures are necessary
Holderhof relies on the expertise of Swiss equipment manufacturer Rhyner from Hausen am Albis to fill the applesauce. This company specialises in the planning of customised filling and packaging systems. Precision is crucial here to ensure that the jars are filled evenly and reliably with the product. The material must also be able to withstand a constant temperature of 75 degrees. This is necessary so that the natural organic product without preservatives can be kept for a long time. Once the applesauce is in the jar, the next step is to ensure hygiene.
Grandmother’s recipe on an industrial scale
Hot steam comes into play at the sealing station with the lids: the lid is steamed and thus sterilised. The sealing ring also softens at the same time, ensuring a better seal. Before sealing, the upper part of the jar above the applesauce is also filled with steam. Once the lid is on, the steam condenses and a vacuum is created, which pulls the lid down slightly. Sensitive sensors check whether the lid is really tight. This is followed by what grandma has always done when making jam, only in Sulgen it is done by a machine. It turns the jar upside down, where the heat in the jam kills off any germs that may have somehow managed to sneak through the lid or the edge of the jar. The final stage of the filling process involves labelling and dating the jar.
A first start has been made
However, with the fruit processing centre in Sulgen, Holderhof has now created the structures to increasingly process local fruit back into exciting products in Switzerland. Holderhof has now written its first chapter in this endeavour with applesauce, with more to follow.
The dosing and filling station requires maximum precision.
Filling line for applesauce at the fruit processing centre in Sulgen.
Sensors detect if the lid is not tightly closed.
The glass makes the applesauce more visible to customers.
The organic applesauce is filled into jars.
The organic applesauce is heated to 75° Celsius to preserve it.