NEO MAKİNA ve MÜHENDİSLİK A.Ş. builds turnkey ketchup processing plants for ketchup, mayonnaise and sauce production. From ingredient dosing through mixing, heat treatment, homogenisation and filling, the line is designed in AISI 316L stainless steel with dead-leg-free hygienic piping and fully automatic CIP/SIP. In batch or continuous configuration, paste-based and starch-based ketchups, barbecue, pizza, pasta and cold-emulsion sauces can be produced in the same plant.
Process Flow
- Ingredient preparation and dosing: Automatic recipe dosing of tomato paste, sugar, salt, vinegar, starch and spices from load-cell tanks; vacuum or screw feeding for powders.
- Mixing and dissolving: High-shear mixer dissolves starch and stabilisers lump-free; de-aeration under vacuum.
- Heat treatment: Pasteurisation to 90–95 °C in a scraped-surface (SSHE) or tubular exchanger; direct steam injection (DSI) option for flash heating within seconds.
- Homogenisation: High-pressure homogeniser micronises oil globules and fibres; stable emulsion, glossy colour, no syneresis.
- Cooling and holding: Regenerative cooling to filling temperature; aseptic buffer tank.
- Filling and packaging: Hot-fill or aseptic filling; glass, PET, sachet, doypack and bag-in-box lines.
Line Configurations
Batch Lines
- For plants with many SKUs and frequent recipe changes.
- Different sauce in each cooking tank; isolated CIP eliminates cross-contamination risk.
- Capacity: 500 – 5,000 kg/batch, 3–8 batches per day.
Continuous Lines
- Uninterrupted flow for single-product, high-tonnage production; minimum energy cost at steady state.
- Capacity: 2 – 10 t/h; SCADA-based recipe management and traceability.
Key Equipment
- Scraped-surface heat exchangers (SSHE): Heating and cooling of viscous, particulate products without burn-on or fouling.
- Direct steam injection (DSI): Flash heating with minimal loss of flavour, colour and nutrients; fast start-stop.
- High-pressure homogeniser: 150–300 bar; stable emulsion and smooth mouthfeel.
- Vacuum cooking-mixing tank: Jacketed with scraper agitator; vacuum emulsification for mayonnaise and cold emulsions.
- Automation: PLC/SCADA recipe management, batch reporting, CIP programmes and traceability.
Typical Application Range
- Capacity: 500 kg/h – 10 t/h
- Products: tomato ketchup (from hot/cold-break paste), starch-based ketchup, mayonnaise, barbecue, pizza and pasta sauces, dips and shashlik sauces, mustard
- Materials: product-contact surfaces AISI 316L; EHEDG hygienic design, CIP/SIP compatible
- Standards: CE Machinery Directive, ISO 22000/HACCP compliant layout, PED (pressure vessels)
Why NEO MAKİNA?
- Product quality: Correct heat treatment and homogenisation give stable consistency, glossy colour and no syneresis over shelf life.
- Flexibility: Modular skid design for capacity increases and fast changeover between sauces of different viscosity.
- Efficiency: Recipe-based automation minimises human error and maximises OEE; regenerative heat recovery.
- Integration: Combined plant option with a tomato-paste line; see Tomato Paste Processing Plants.
- Single-source delivery: Process design, equipment, installation, automation, commissioning, recipe trials and training.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can ketchup and mayonnaise be made on the same line?
Yes. With a vacuum emulsion tank and cold-process line added, mayonnaise and cold sauces share the same filling line; changeover with CIP takes 1–2 hours.
What is the difference between hot-break and cold-break paste?
Hot-break paste gives high viscosity and pectin retention (ideal for ketchup); cold-break gives lighter colour and fresher taste. The line runs on both paste types.
What is the project duration?
Engineering and manufacturing take 4–6 months, installation and commissioning 1–2 months.
For line design and a quotation based on your product range and capacity, contact us.