Neologic Engineers' Spiral Cooling Solutions Enhance the Tomato Ketchup Production for Sahyadri Farms

Sahyadri is India's largest comprehensive fruit and vegetable processing company. Over the years, the company has developed a significant competency in areas such as primary processing of F&V, semi-processed products such as frozen and aseptic; processed products such as Fruit Pulps, Concentrates, pastes, Fruit jams, Tomato Ketchup, Sauces, RTE Processing fruit beverages, and F&V waste processing.

Sahyadri Farms is known for its extensive Tomato processing capability. It has emerged as a key stakeholder in the contract manufacturing with Hindustan Unilever (HUL) for the production of Tomato Ketchup.

Sahyadri Farms Production and Plant Requirements

Sahyadri Farms faced a crucial challenge in the cooling process of Tomato ketchup production to maintain good product quality. The product was hot-filled into the pouches & bottles at the temperature of 90°C. Cooling & drying was essential before going for secondary packaging into corrugated boxes for further distribution.

The cooling procedure after a hot filling is critical for preventing aroma, flavor, and texture alterations. Linear tunnel/traditional method of cooling involved spraying cold water over pouches or bottles, which took up a lot of space and used a lot of energy. The older design linear cooling tunnels normally struggle to cool the products efficiently, resulting in an output temperature of 55°C which was inadequate for the intended quality of the ketchup. When the expected output temperature was 35°C. This spurred concerns for HUL about the overall quality of the Tomato ketchup.

The stakes were high, and Sahyadri needed a smarter, more compact, and energy-saving alternative. That’s where we came in with a very specific challenge that needed a very specific solution.

Solutions Provided by Neologic Engineers

We began working closely with their team to design, manufacture, and commission two customized spiral cooling systems, with capacities of:

These spiral systems were precision-engineered cooling ecosystems, built for compactness, maximum heat transfer, and operational efficiency.

Commissioning and Its Challenges

The biggest challenge for us was to install the equipment in a continuously operating plant. We had to schedule all installation activities during brief plant shutdowns, ensuring that the existing linear tunnels remained functional throughout. This meant working with tight timelines, maintaining zero disruption to the existing production cycle, and keeping safety a top priority.

Our project management and installation team worked seamlessly with Sahyadri's operations staff to ensure smooth integration.

Implementation and Outstanding Results

Despite the challenges, we were able to successfully implement the Spiral Cooling Solutions. The results were outstanding, beyond expectations for the client. The successful implementation of the innovative cooling solution led to a range of benefits:

Output Achieved by Sahyadri Farms and Neologic Engineers

One of the most prominent improvements was in the product quality. The shorter chilling period allowed for improved preservation of the product's original flavor, taste, and texture. The novel cooling technique of Spiral Solutions also improved product distribution on the cooling tiers. The stacked structure aided heat transfer occupying lesser space with greater efficiency. The water sprayed on hot-filled pouches created a wave-like disruption pattern that boosted cooling efficiency. Water cascading from tier to tier also improved the cooling process even more, contributing to overall efficiency and product quality.

With our help, Sahyadri Farms enhanced the product quality and efficiency. All of this while saving space, energy, and resources by switching from traditional cooling techniques to Spiral Solutions.