Vegetable juice is normally made from either carrot or tomato, but other special juice can be made from eg. beetroot, potato, cucumber, etc. The processing method depends on the raw product involved. The individual producers use different methods for preparation, mash production, juice extraction and product completion.
Vegetable juices are full of vitamins and minerals which need to be extracted and preserved as gently as possible. Hence, vegetable juices are normally not concentrated.
Healthy raw products of suitable ripeness must be used in order to achieve high-quality vegetable products. For instance, after washing and sorting, tomatoes and paprika are deseeded; subsequent process stages are similar to those used in a fruit juice or fruit drink processing line. For most types of vegetables, particularly in case of tubers and root vegetables, a peeling or cleaning stage follows an intensive multi-stage washing process. Subsequently, the mash production takes place (usually in several stages) where the mechanical crushing process is generally supported by heat and/or enzyme action to break down the plant tissue. In certain cases, the vegetable mash is fermented with a lactic acid culture.
The below processing parameters are general guidelines and should only be considered as such.
Processing Sequence
| Washed, Fresh Vegetables |
| Sequence |
Process/Technology |
| 1. Extraction |
Macerator, squeezing (BROWN) or pressing (FMC) |
| 2. Finishing (Stage I+II) |
GEA Westfalia, decanters (FRUPEX) |
| 3. Clarification |
GEA Westfalia, Clarifier, or GEA Filtration |
| 4. Heat treatment |
Heat treatment, PHE Systems/VARITHERM, VARITUBE |
| 5. Filling |
Procomac |