AVOCADOS are now among the world’s most popular superfoods, with much of the global appetite coming from lovers of pre-prepared guacamole.
That’s according Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group (WMFTG), which said MasoSine Certa pumps are helping producers to keep pace with demand.
“As well as delivering high suction capability to handle viscous products, Certa pumps offer many further advantages over alternative technologies,” the company said in a statement.
Unlike traditional pumps with rotors that cut through the fluid, Certa’s sinusoidal rotor gently carries fluid through the pump, which, the company said, dramatically reduces shear. In addition, energy consumption is cut by up to 50% when handling high-viscosity foods such as guacamole,
“In short, the benefits and performance levels delivered by proven MasoSine sinusoidal technology include virtually no pulsation, superior viscosity, simplicity, reliability, energy efficiency, interchangeable parts and low cost of ownership.”
Fully CIP-capable, Certa pumps can transfer foods with viscosities of up to 8 million cP, at flow rates up to 99,000 l/h.
MasoSine Certa technology is used in two stages of guacamole production. Firstly, the pumps transfer avocado pulp to the mixers, before larger Certa models are deployed to transfer the product to the filling stations.
“At this stage, one of the great benefits of MasoSine pumps is their ability to maintain the shape and integrity of the avocado chunks – and small pieces of tomato and onion – which are sometimes part of the mix.
“The addition of these soft vegetable and fruit pieces would present a problem for most pump types, however, the low shear and gentle action of a MasoSine pump maintains the integrity of the avocado and additional ingredients and crucially, does not negatively affect the viscosity of the final product. The result is much faster production speeds and, thanks to the inherently hygienic design of Certa pumps, process cleanliness is assured. Customers also report reductions in maintenance requirements and downtime.”
Having convinced several guacamole producers of the benefits available when using MasoSine Certa technology for transferring avocado pulp to the mixers and filling machines, the Watson-Marlow team is now talking to the same manufacturers about solutions for the next stage in the process – filling individual product portions.
