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Green peas and IQF vegetables

IQF green peas, sweet corn, mixed vegetables, dehydrated peas

Green peas and IQF vegetables line by GEM Foodtech, Kolkata, India — capacity 1 to 15 tonnes of pods per hour, final yield 38% of raw intake, delivered as a turnkey plant with installation and commissioning worldwide.

Raw material
Field-fresh peas in pod, processed within 6 hours
Capacity range
1 to 15 tonnes of pods per hour
Final yield
38% of raw intake
Operating pattern
Short, intense season of 45–75 days

The commercial reality

Peas are a clock business. Sugar converts to starch within hours of picking, so the distance from field to blancher is a quality specification, not a logistics detail. The whole line is designed to compress that time.

Green peas and IQF
Green peas and IQF vegetables processing line equipment — drop a plant photograph here

Process flow diagram

Generated for the standard configuration. Yours is redrawn to your product mix, capacity and site.

01ReceptionWithin 6 hours of harvestIndustrial elevator02ShellingPea sheller, drum typeSheller and decorticator03Cleaning and gradingAir cleaner, size grader, brine graderGrader and size sorter04WashingCold water, chlorinatedFruit and vegetable washer05BlanchingSteam or water, 90–95 °C, 60–120 sBlancher and cooler06CoolingChilled water to 4 °CBlancher and cooler07DewateringVibratory dewatering and air knifeConveying and material handling08IQF freezingFluidised tunnel, −35 °C, 8–12 minIQF tunnel freezer09Packing and cold storeBulk or retail, metal detectionFilling, sealing and packing line

Process chart

Every stage with the equipment that performs it, the operating parameter and the control point that decides quality.

#StageEquipmentParameterControl point
01ReceptionIndustrial elevatorWithin 6 hours of harvestSugar to starch conversion limited
02ShellingSheller and decorticatorPea sheller, drum typePod and vine separated
03Cleaning and gradingGrader and size sorterAir cleaner, size grader, brine graderSizes and maturity separated
04WashingFruit and vegetable washerCold water, chlorinatedField load removed
05BlanchingBlancher and coolerSteam or water, 90–95 °C, 60–120 sPeroxidase negative
06CoolingBlancher and coolerChilled water to 4 °CCooking arrested
07DewateringConveying and material handlingVibratory dewatering and air knifeSurface water off before freezing
08IQF freezingIQF tunnel freezerFluidised tunnel, −35 °C, 8–12 minCore temperature at −18 °C
09Packing and cold storeFilling, sealing and packing lineBulk or retail, metal detectionCold chain maintained

Mass balance

Basis of 1,000 kg of raw material. Change the tonnage below and the whole table rescales.

Indicative working yields. Confirmed against your material on a pilot trial.
StageOutput, kg/hYieldLoss, kg/hWhere the loss goes
Pods received1,000100%0—
Shelled peas40040%600Pods and vine to cattle feed or silage
After grading and washing38038%20Undersize and damaged to dehydration line
After blanching39039%0Slight water pickup
IQF packed product38038%10Freezer losses and fines

By-products: Pods and vine as silage or feed; off-grade peas diverted to the dehydration line rather than dumped.

Equipment schedule

Core machines for this line. Conveying, tanks, CIP and utilities are added to suit the layout.

EquipmentCapacity rangeFunction
Industrial elevatorHandlingLifts washed or raw material between floor levels without bruising.
Sheller and decorticatorSeparationCracks and separates shell from kernel on cashew, peas and corn.
Grader and size sorterSeparationSeparates by size or specific gravity before or after processing.
Fruit and vegetable washerPreparationRemoves field soil, latex and surface load with recirculated, filtered water.
Blancher and coolerThermalInactivates enzymes, sets colour, then cools to arrest cooking.
Conveying and material handlingHandlingMoves product between stations without degrading it.
IQF tunnel freezerFreezingIndividually quick frozen product with minimal ice crystal damage.
Filling, sealing and packing linePackingWeighing, filling, sealing, metal detection and case packing.

Questions we get on this line

Why blanch before freezing?

Enzymes stay active below freezing and destroy colour and flavour over months of storage. A peroxidase-negative test is the standard proof.

Can one line do peas and sweet corn?

Yes, with a change of shelling and grading front end. Both seasons are short and rarely overlap, which makes the shared IQF tunnel excellent economics.

What capacity range does the green peas and iqf line cover?

Standard GEM Foodtech builds cover 1 to 15 tonnes of pods per hour. Larger duties are engineered to order — the right size is set by the raw material supply through the season, not the nameplate figure.

Is this supplied as a complete turnkey plant?

Yes. The Green peas and IQF vegetables line is delivered end to end — feasibility, pilot trial on your own material, engineering, manufacture in Kolkata, installation, commissioning and operator training — or as individual machines to fit an existing plant.

Want this line costed for your tonnage?

Send the raw material specification and the capacity you are targeting. You get a flow diagram, an equipment schedule and a budget number.