Higher yield due to sophisticated manufacturing process
Processes have been optimized at Juncà Gelatines in Spain due to installation of a BioCut
Animal gelatin is used as an ingredient in deserts and sweet foodstuffs in the food industry as well as in many other products such as pies, sliced meats and even as an ingredient in the processing of juices, wines and dairy products. As well as these applications in the food industry, gelatin is also used as an ingredient in pharmaceutical and cosmetic products and in animal feed. Its properties and numerous possible applications as well as its comparatively low costs make animal gelatin a highly versatile product. To maintain competitive prices, gelatin manufacturers require production on a large scale and, above all, have to maximize their production.
For Juncà Gelatines this last point in particular was key when it came to the use of a maceration and pump system by Vogelsang, BioCut. Juncà Gelatines is a family-run company that has its headquarters in Banyoles in northeast Spain, approx. 100 kilometers from Barcelona and 50 kilometers from the French border. Annually Juncà manufactures around 5,000 tons of gelatin, making it one of Spain’s leading companies for the gelatin production. To integrate a Vogelsang BioCut into the final phase of the extraction of collagen, the company made a decision two years ago to macerate the partly preboiled pig rind in order to optimize yield.
The BioCut is a combination of a macerator and a rotary lobe pump, installed on a platform. The BioCut also includes an electronic control unit for simple operation and control.
Maximum yield and energy efficiency yet low maintenance requirements
Prior to the BioCut, Juncà Gelatines used a centrifugal pump, which merely conveyed the boiled pig rind. After installation of the BioCut, additional yield could be attained due to its dual functionality. As well as conveying the skin, the unit also shreds it with its wet macerator, thereby increasing the yield from the overall process. Raquel Mir, Environmental Officer at the company, relates first-hand how the BioCut has led to improvements: “The most important benefit is the yield improvement. Using the BioCut, we are able to extract some of the collagen that had previously remained in the skin and thereby increase overall production yield considerably. Use of the machine has also improved conveyance of the skin since the rotary lobe pump integrated in the BioCut transports the product more gently. In this way we have obtained a better quality product, and have reduced processing times. In addition, we have been able to reduce our electricity consumption.”
The RotaCut macerator integrated in the pump shreds fibrous and coarse media using knives pressed against a fixed cutting screen. This continuous pressure is exerted via a hydraulic system, enabling a uniform and continuous cut. At the same time, the operating principle prevents the blades loosening, which would cause production delays to carry out maintenance work.
In the case of Juncà Gelatines the RotaCut macerates the skin and attains more collagen per kilogram of raw material compared to the previous system. Any foreign matter present is discarded thanks to the integrated foreign material separator.
Its compact engineering and innovative design enables ongoing operation, while any required repair work can be carried out with ease; by simply opening a lid, access is provided to the knives of the macerator and the pumping chamber.
Investment in innovation for a higher yield
One single system with numerous benefits for the optimization of yield and to guarantee a premium-quality product at the same time. These two improvements make the BioCut a profitable investment for Juncà Gelatines and have proven once again how Vogelsang technology can be relied upon at all times, even in the most demanding of environments.
Did you know that ...
... gelatin is a solid, transparent, colorless substance that is odorless and tasteless and obtained by boiling the bones, tendons and ligaments of animals, more precisely pigs, cows or fish?
... gelatin occurs due to the partial hydrolysis of collagen, the most important protein in animal tissue? Gelatin is rich in protein (84–90 percent) and free of cholesterol, fat, carbohydrates, preservatives and additives.
... gelatin contains a total of 18 amino acids, including 9 of the 10 essential amino acids that need to be consumed regularly as part of a healthy and balanced diet? Thanks to its high content of essential amino acids, gelatin is classified as a foodstuff by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
... manufacturing processes for gelatin at Juncà are almost exclusively based on the processing of pig rind? The process can be subdivided into six subprocesses: preparation of rind, maceration and extraction of collagen, filtering, concentration and drying.