Orange processing plants are located in the vicinity of the fruit growing area. Fruit should be processed as soon as possible after harvesting because fruit deteriorates quickly at the high temperatures found in citrus-growing areas. Orange products, on the other hand, are produced in a form that allows them to be stored for extended periods and shipped over long distances.
In the orange industry, the basic unit of reporting crop and plant intake is commonly the fruit box.
A box of oranges is defined as containing 40.8 kg (90 lb) of fruit. In Florida, small and medium-sized plants typically process 5-10 million boxes (200,000-400,000 tonnes) per season, the large plants up to 25 million boxes. Most Brazilian citrus plants have much higher capacity. The world’s largest orange juice plant, Citrosuco in Matao, Brazil, can take in 60 million boxes (2.4 million tonnes) of fruit during a season. In most other orange-growing regions, citrus processing plants are considerably smaller than those in Florida and Brazil.
Typical processing steps found in an orange processing plant
ORANGE JUICE PRODUCTION STEPS
FRUIT RECEPTION
JUICE EXTRACTION
THE OIL EXTRACTION SYSTEM
CLARIFICATION
BLENDING
