The exquisite and soft smell of quince is perceived several meters before entering Ledevit SRL, the only aseptic processing plant for natural fruit pulp that has just been put into operation in San Juan at Calle Falucho 1568 Oeste, Capital. And the only one for several kilometers around outside the provincial limits. Of course, these aromas will mutate because there you will then feel olfactory notes of plums, apricots, peaches, and other more exotic ones such as strawberry and passion fruit, or whatever seasonal fruit arrives there to be processed and then sold as pulp to other national industries, even international.
The great manager of this was the San Juan businessman Eduardo Ramos, who together with the current owner, Nicolás Demarco from Buenos Aires, devised the brand new processor that has a total production capacity of 25 to 30 tons per day. This will require around 60 workers once these levels are reached. In this first testing stage, only eight are working, but the idea is to reach optimal processing levels within a few months.
It is, without a doubt, a novelty for the province taking into account that it has not yet been inaugurated but is going through a successful trial period. This can be stated because the first shipments made to Buenos Aires received a very good score. Added to this is that there are great expectations among local producers who are often left with a large amount of fruit on the plants due to lack of fresh sales.
This plant will not only give added value to the fruits that are not used for industrialization in the province but will also become a contribution to combat the fruit fly and will energize the food industry.
“We have had it in mind for a long time to find a solution to the quince issue and the only way was to transform it into completely aseptic pulp to be able to export it since if not this way it cannot be sold abroad. The international food code requires that it not contain any type of preservatives, unlike the national code that does allow it for the domestic market. In fact, this was the limitation due to which quince could never be exported and now with this system, which is unique in the province, we can begin to find markets abroad. From Chile they are urgently requesting us as well as from Mexico. For the future we will add organic fruit because there is a great requirement, for example from Spain. By this I mean that there is a large market to provide natural fruit pulp,” explains Ramos, who is currently a management advisor for the company.
The special machinery for this type of procedures, especially asepsis and packaging, was built by a Mendoza company with extensive experience in developing thermal treatments for fruit and another part was added with a traditional system adapted to the needs of this undertaking. The entire design process, equipment manufacturing and commissioning took 3 years.
The expensive machinery has management controls and is automatic, which has required a million-dollar investment like the rest of the plant.
The first tests were carried out at the end of last year and this season was completed with the processing of quince pulp, to which other fruits with or without pits will be added such as apricots, peaches, plums from the province and others. that arrive from different parts of the country such as strawberries, passion fruit, among others.
“With this we are generating that all the remainder of the fresh fruit that is not sold reaches the industry, which will reduce and even put an end to the fruit fly if we process everything that is left in the plants,” adds Ramos.
The industrialization process
Firstly, the fruit must enter healthy, whether early or ripe, although in the latter case it cannot be chopped or crushed. Once that selection is made, it can be said that the process begins.
Alexis Muñoz, general manager of the plant, dedicated to the food industry for years, explained the necessary timeline to obtain a natural pulp free of all bacterial contamination.
“Once the fruit has been selected, it goes to a washing area, then grinding, and then cooking, which is done by direct steam injection until the optimal point is reached. Only there it passes through a sieve that separates the pit, seeds or skin from the pulp itself. Once separated, it enters a pumping process and stops having any contact with oxygen. It begins to circulate through a heat treatment process that is completely sterilized at 120 degrees, as is the packaging machine that is coupled to this treatment. Thus, the pulp enters at about 110 to 120 degrees and then undergoes pasteurization. A thermal shock of cold and frozen water is done to quickly lower the temperature,” explains Muñoz.
The pulp is packaged within this process in a triple-layer polypropylene and irradiated aluminum bag, which contains a valve that closes in such a way as to maintain total asepsis without preservatives as required by international standards.
This type of pulp is used for the candy industry, pastry, for fruit processors for ice cream and cocktails, among others. “Currently we are in a kind of pilot test, we are doing school because although I come from other food industries in other areas, this is a new process both for me and for the operators. We are adapting very well, finding points that need to be corrected or optimized. A great experience,” says Alexis.
To date we can speak of great results because the returns from the couple of companies to which the first batches arrived were highly rated by customers in terms of the general quality of the pulp. The main parameters are not only organoleptic but require levels of natural sugar concentration and zero microbiological level since, since it does not have preservatives, not even the slightest margin can be tolerated.
Without a doubt, this processor comes to fill a gap within the agribusiness, not only in San Juan but in many other parts of the country that have nowhere to place the fruits of their plantations due to the lack of fresh sales. To which is added an opening in the midst of a crisis throughout the country, which is no small feat.
Jáchal at the head
Just a few days ago, about thirty quince producers from Jáchal came to visit Ledevit SRL, the natural pulp processing plant, to get in touch with what could be the solution to avoid losing production on their farms.
Furthermore, Ledevit SRL and the municipality of Jáchal are promoting the installation of a fruit sorting plant. In this way they will be able to send the most attractive ones to the fresh market and the rest will be destined for the processor.
The visit was organized by the Directorate of Production and Sustainable Development to maintain contact with the companies that use the raw materials that come from the jachallero fields.
The experience consisted of two visits to the Ledevit group company and to the traditional Olta factory plant that produces a wide variety of quince-based products.
In both places, producers were able to observe the production processes of each product, but also learn how the real price of quince is shaped when the harvest season arrives and the opportunities that could mean achieving unity among those who own the plantations and, at the same time, At the same time, have the technical assistance of the municipality.
The contingent was accompanied by the mayor Matías Espejo, the Secretary of Government, Juan Pablo Dara, the director of Production and Sustainable Development, Daniel Jácome, together with the Legal advisor, Julio Andino and the coordinators Iván Páez and Fabián Castro.
