Elaboration of a technological process to produce orange juice powder

Abstract

El The objective of this work was to evaluate a technological process for the production of orange powder, identifying variables and parameters through tests at the laboratory level, which will later be simulated in a process software in order to analyze its technical and economic feasibility. Two varieties of orange were characterized by analyzing their physicochemical properties, selecting the Valencia variety with 79.78% and discarding the Washington variety with 61.5%, clarifying and encapsulating the fluid for atomization. Statistically, an excellent yield of 76.7% and a humidity of 0.763% were determined, with a temperature of 140 ° C and a concentration of 7% w / w. The physical chemical and microbiological analyzes are: ° Brix; 9.6, pH; 3.61, total coliforms, faecal coliforms, Ecoli 0 CFU / g, molds and yeasts < 10 CFU / g, being within the allowed range of the NTE INEN 2471. The simulation was performed based on 5 (MT) that corresponds to 25% of the unused production in the orange production of the Caluma canton, taking into account that the total production is 22,482 MT, three sections were defined: fruit preparation, juice production and powder production, the same that count with unit operations of each section. From a technical point of view, the project is totally viable, because the sub-processes are feasible to be implemented and the final product meets the necessary requirements for transportation and consumption.

The process is economically feasible, however the system in 15 years generates a NPV (Net Present Value) of 744,000 USD and an IRR (Internal Rate of Return) of 10% which, despite being positive, may not be attractive to investors, considering that a total capital investment ($ 2,878,000 $ USD) and the operating cost (4,814,762 $ USD) will be required.