Our tomato juice processing line is specially engineered to produce high-quality ready-to-drink tomato juice with fresh tomato flavor and natural color. The line supports both cloudy unfiltered and clarified clear juice types, using cold press extraction and low temperature sterilization to preserve nutrients. Capacities range from 2 to 50 tons of fresh tomatoes per day.

Step-by-Step Processing

Fresh Tomato Intake
Tomatoes are received in bulk bins and dumped into a flume channel with circulating water. An automatic brush washer removes field dirt and reduces microbial load.

Crushing & Cold Break
A low-speed crusher operating at 150 to 200 RPM minimizes seed damage and prevents bitter note release. The mash is heated to only 60 to 65 degrees Celsius using cold break method to maintain a fresh, raw tomato flavor profile. For thicker juice, hot break at 90 to 95 degrees Celsius can be selected but flavor becomes more cooked.

Juice Extraction – Two Options

For cloudy juice, a twin-screw press applies gentle pressure to separate juice from pomace which includes skin, seeds and fiber. Juice yield reaches 75 to 85 percent. The resulting juice contains natural pulp and is ideal for homestyle tomato juice.

For clarified juice, a high-speed decanter running at 3000 to 4000 RPM removes virtually all suspended solids. The clear juice can be further polished with a vibrating filter of 80 to 120 mesh. This type is used for clear tomato water or as base for bloody mary mixes.

Enzymatic Treatment for Clarified Juice Only
Pectinase and cellulase enzymes are added in holding tanks at 45 to 50 degrees Celsius for 60 to 90 minutes. This breaks down pectin and reduces viscosity, allowing finer filtration and preventing haze during storage.

Formulation & Blending
Salt at 0.5 to 1.5 percent, optional sugar, and vitamin C as antioxidant can be added in a blending tank with high-speed mixer. For tomato juice from concentrate, water and concentrate are combined in proportion to achieve 5 to 7 degrees Brix which is single strength.

Deaeration & Homogenization
A vacuum deaerator removes dissolved oxygen below 2 parts per million to prevent oxidation and color loss. A two-stage homogenizer at 200 bar first stage and 50 bar second stage reduces particle size to under 10 microns, ensuring stable suspension without sedimentation.

Sterilization & Filling

For chilled distribution with short shelf life, the juice undergoes pasteurization at 85 to 90 degrees Celsius for 30 seconds, then cooling to 4 degrees Celsius, followed by cold filling into PET bottles or bag-in-box.

For ambient distribution with long shelf life, UHT sterilization at 105 to 110 degrees Celsius for 5 to 10 seconds is used, followed by aseptic filling into Tetra Pak, glass bottles, or aseptic bags.

Why Choose Our Tomato Juice Line?

Our cold break and low temperature sterilization processes preserve volatile aroma compounds for fresh flavor retention. The same line can produce cloudy, clarified, and from-concentrate juice, offering great flexibility. No preservatives are required as sterilization ensures safety, making clean label possible. A CIP skid with automated spray balls is installed in all tanks and pipes for easy cleaning.

Applications
Ready-to-drink tomato juice in shelf-stable or chilled format, bloody mary cocktail base, vegetable juice blends such as tomato-carrot or tomato-celery, and food service gallon jugs for restaurants.

We offer lab-scale models at 100 kilograms per hour for research and development, as well as full industrial lines. Tell us your target hourly output and preferred juice type for a proposal.

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