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Pineapple slices, tidbits and juice
Canned slices, tidbits, chunks, juice concentrate, dried rings
Pineapple slices, tidbits and juice line by GEM Foodtech, Kolkata, India — capacity 2 to 20 tonnes of fruit per hour, final yield 48% of raw intake, delivered as a turnkey plant with installation and commissioning worldwide.
The commercial reality
Pineapple is a yield puzzle. Less than half the fruit becomes premium slices; the rest is shell, core and trim. Plants that make money are the ones that convert every part of that remainder into juice, dried rings or feed rather than paying to remove it.
Process flow diagram
Generated for the standard configuration. Yours is redrawn to your product mix, capacity and site.
Process chart
Every stage with the equipment that performs it, the operating parameter and the control point that decides quality.
| # | Stage | Equipment | Parameter | Control point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Reception and grading | Grader and size sorter | Size grading for the ginaca | Diameter matched to cutting head |
| 02 | Washing | Fruit and vegetable washer | Brush and spray washer | Field soil and scale insects removed |
| 03 | Peeling and coring | Peeler, abrasive or steam | Ginaca machine, size-matched cylinders | Cylinder yield maximised |
| 04 | Slicing and trimming | Slicer, dicer and shredder | Slices, tidbits or chunks | Grade separation at the trim table |
| 05 | Juice extraction from trim | Juice extractor, hydraulic or screw press | Screw press on shell, core and trim | Trim converted to juice |
| 06 | Blanching or exhausting | Blancher and cooler | Steam exhaust before seaming | Headspace vacuum |
| 07 | Syruping and filling | Aseptic and hot filling line | Hot syrup at 85 °C, can or jar | Fill weight and Brix |
| 08 | Sterilising | Steriliser, retort and exhauster | Retort, 100–105 °C profiled | Commercial sterility |
| 09 | Drying, optional | Belt dryer and dehydration system | Belt dryer for dried rings at 60–65 °C | Texture and colour |
Mass balance
Basis of 1,000 kg of raw material. Change the tonnage below and the whole table rescales.
| Stage | Output, kg/h | Yield | Loss, kg/h | Where the loss goes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit received | 1,000 | 100% | 0 | — |
| After peeling and coring | 520 | 52% | 480 | Shell to juice or feed |
| Premium slices and tidbits | 340 | 34% | 180 | Trim and core to juice line |
| Packed product, slices plus juice from trim | 480 | 48% | 0 | Spent residue dried for feed on a GEM dryer |
By-products: Shell, core and trim into juice, then the spent residue dried for cattle feed or bromelain extraction.
Equipment schedule
Core machines for this line. Conveying, tanks, CIP and utilities are added to suit the layout.
| Equipment | Capacity range | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Grader and size sorter | Separation | Separates by size or specific gravity before or after processing. |
| Fruit and vegetable washer | Preparation | Removes field soil, latex and surface load with recirculated, filtered water. |
| Peeler, abrasive or steam | Preparation | Abrasive carborundum drum or batch steam peeler with flash vessel. |
| Slicer, dicer and shredder | Preparation | Uniform slices, dices, strips or kibble — cut geometry sets drying time. |
| Juice extractor, hydraulic or screw press | Separation | Presses juice from crushed fruit; cake exits for drying or feed. |
| Blancher and cooler | Thermal | Inactivates enzymes, sets colour, then cools to arrest cooking. |
| Aseptic and hot filling line | Packing | Aseptic bag-in-drum, hot fill, or can and bottle filling and seaming. |
| Steriliser, retort and exhauster | Thermal | Commercial sterility for canned, pouched and bottled product. |
| Belt dryer and dehydration system | Drying | Multi-zone drying with controlled curve — the GEM core competence. |
Questions we get on this line
What slice yield is realistic?
Around 33 to 36% of fruit weight as premium slices and tidbits. The juice and dried-ring routes are what lift total realisation above 50%.
Can we add dried rings later?
Yes, and it is the most common expansion. The dryer takes the off-grade slices that the canning line rejects.
What capacity range does the pineapple line cover?
Standard GEM Foodtech builds cover 2 to 20 tonnes of fruit 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 Pineapple slices, tidbits and juice 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.