Steamed apples have a sticky consistency, which makes them difficult to remove from cans in industrial food processing. Their high sugar content causes them to adhere strongly to the inside of the can – with direct economic consequences: Product residues remain in the can, yield is lost and manual reworking costs time and personnel.
This use case shows how the fully automatic can opening machine CEM 600 from KA-Process solves precisely this problem – without product dilution and without compromising on the recipe.
What are haze apples – and why are they so demanding?
Steamed apples are pre-cooked apple pieces preserved in a sugar solution, which are mainly used in the production of baked goods, desserts and in communal catering. They are typically supplied in large containers (cans of 2.5 to 10 kg) and processed on an industrial scale.
The problem lies in the physics: sugar acts as a natural adhesion promoter. Vapor apples with a high Brix value tend to adhere firmly to metal. Simply tilting is not enough.
Typical challenges in day-to-day production
Production companies that process canned apples know the consequences of incomplete can emptying:
- Increased residual volume losses, which directly reduce the yield
- Manual scraping by employees – time-consuming and hygienically problematic
- Water rinsing as an alternative solution – but unsuitable as it dilutes the product and impairs formulation and quality requirements
Especially in baked goods production, where the moisture balance of the recipe must be precisely maintained, water rinsing is not an option.
The solution: CEM 600 with optional flushing module
The CEM 600 is the fully automatic can opener from KA-Process for demanding products. An optional rinsing module is available for processing highly viscous and adhesive products such as haze apples, which has been specially developed for this application.
Flushing with sterile compressed air
Instead of water, the CEM 600 uses sterile compressed air to remove adhering product residues from the inside wall of the can. The rinsing medium does not dilute the product and does not interfere with the recipe. Alternatively, water can also be used for rinsing – the decision is up to the operator and can be parameterized for the specific product.
Recipe-dependent parameterization
The rinsing medium, rinsing duration and intensity are stored in the CEM 600 control unit with password protection. This ensures reproducible, product-specific process control – without operator dependency and without variance from batch to batch.
Hygienic design
The rinsing system is fully integrated into the system’s hygiene concept. The CIP-capable rinsing pipe enables automated cleaning and meets the requirements of modern food production facilities.
Result: Up to 98 % less residue
The use of CEM 600 with compressed air flushing reduces the residual quantities in the cans by up to 98%. What this means in concrete terms:
- Significantly higher yield
- Low manual scraping effort
- Stable, reproducible process control
- No impairment of product quality or recipe
Conclusion: The right can opener makes all the difference
With highly viscous products such as haze apples, it is not only the opening performance of the can opener that determines the actual economic benefit, but above all the emptying competence. With its integrated rinsing module, the CEM 600 from KA-Process offers a process-reliable solution that reduces residual quantities to a minimum – without compromising the product.
Do you process vaporized apples or other highly viscous products from cans? Contact us – we will find the right solution for your process.
