Developing breakthrough technologies, from automated pomegranate handling, to sulfur-free lychee treatment, Juran continues to innovate and green the food industry.
Significantly impacting agro-technology and the food industry worldwide, Juran has been coming up with new ideas for streamlining traditional methods of farming, harvesting, and produce handling since its inception in 1966.
From automated packing houses to unique technologies for greening food processing practices, Juran’s R&D achievements caught the attention of the Agricultural Engineering Institute of the Israel Ministry of Agriculture, as well as of EU R&D institutes. In thriving partnerships over 40 years, their joint activities have yielded innovative R&D projects and many jointly registered patents.
The pomegranate handling breakthrough
A prime example, and a flagship Juran product, is the ArilSystem™, an automated system for extracting the juicy seeds from pomegranates. The pomegranate is one of nature’s most remarkably health enhancing fruits. Higher in anti-oxidants than wine or cranberries, it promotes heart health, reduces blood pressure, enhances healing, and has even been shown to inhibit tumor growth.
Yet consumption of this healthful and tasty fruit has been far from commensurate with its value.
This is largely due to the messy and time consuming process of extracting the arils. Consumers find the fruit less than user-friendly.
Even when the juicy seeds are provided ready extracted, consumers do not rush to buy them due to their high cost, based on the labor-intensive extraction process. Hence the general public has failed to avail itself of the health benefits of this remarkable fruit. Juran set out to change all that.
Researching the problem, Juran developed the ArilSystem™.
It can process hundreds of pomegranates per hour, supervised by just one or two workers.
It boasts a 95% efficiency level, bringing aril damage down to 3%-5%, compared with previous industry standards of 20% wastage.
The extracted arils are gently washed, filtering out peels and fruit membranes. The end result is pure arils, cleaned and packaged, untouched by human hands.
ArilSystem™
The pomegranate breakthrough
• Labor-Saving – 1-2 workers replace 45!
• Minimal waste – 95% efficiency
• Better Taste – Tannin-free tastier juice
• Higher Quality – Hygienic Food Safety Standards
• Industrial capacity – Up to 56 fruits/minute
Aside from the obvious advantages of low labor costs and increased output, the ArilSystem™ yields a far more hygienic, higher quality product. This is reflected in its significantly increased shelf life. A further benefit is afforded the beverage industry.
Most pomegranate juices are obtained by squeezing the whole fruit, including peel and membrane, which gives the juice a bitter taste due to their high tannin and phenol content.
The ArilSystem Juicer obtains pure pomegranate juice from the arils alone, producing a far tastier beverage. And as an extra bonus, the seeds, efficiently extracted during the juicing process, are a sought-after byproduct utilized by the cosmetics and pharmaceutics industries, yielding additional revenue.
Today’s ArilSystem™ is available in 4 models handling 10, 20, 28, or up to 56 fruits per minute. A rate of 56 fruit/minute, or 1,680 kg fruit/hour, can yield over 550 kg/hour of superior quality arils, all from a single production line.
Since the first ArilSystem was installed in Israel, there are currently ArilSystems operational in the USA, Spain, Turkey, India, South Africa, Australia and others.
Now affordably available, the presence of this wonder fruit is growing in the Fresh-Cut market as well as the Food & Beverage Industries, Pharmaceutics, and Cosmetics. But the big winners are the consumers.
Juran’s marketing director, Avner Galili says, “There is an increasing market demand for pomegranate products. We’re pleased to enable our customers to offer a superior product to the growing number of pomegranate consumers worldwide.”
Greener methods for redder lychees
Making food processing more natural and putting healthier products on the market is a main Juran objective. Today, fresh lychees are a tricky commodity.
Starting out an attractive red, they lose their vibrant color within 2 or 3 days, becoming an unappealing brown.
To overcome this marketing drawback, lychees are subjected to a sulfur treatment that helps them maintain their color for a longer marketing window. However it offers the consumer a product that is, literally, soaked in chemicals.
“There is an attitude of resignation among lychee growers,” Avner Galili says, “that sulfur treatment is a necessary evil. Sulfur is a toxin, and it may penetrate the flesh of the fruit. Careful testing is then required to ensure compliance with allowable levels. The good news,” Avner tells us, “is that lychees needn’t be soaked in toxins to keep them market-red.”
Juran has developed a Sulfur-Free Lychee Treatment and Packing House.
In a unique process based on nothing more than a temperature regulated water and salt treatment, the beautiful rich red color of lychees is preserved for up to 4-5 weeks!
That represents a very significantly extended marketing window and shelf life.
This computerized, all natural process maintains the lychee’s delicious flavor along with its vibrant lasting color. The unique natural treatment process is integrated with a sorting and packing system.
Moving along a state-of-the-art motorized conveyor, the lychees undergo a sorting & grading process including an automatic sizer with five size/grading groups compliant with EEC and USA market requirements. With a packing capacity limited only by customer demand, Juran Lychee Treatment Systems and Packing Houses have been installed in China, Thailand, Israel and Australia.
Juran’s Sulfur-Free Lychee
Treatment & Packing House
• Maintains vibrant red color for 4-5 weeks
• Greatly increases marketing window
• All natural process
• Tested and field-proven
With the company for over 8 years, Avner Galili is Juran’s Business Development and Marketing Director, and by now like one of the family of this family business.
Formerly on the Board of Directors of the Israel Export Institute and the National Agricultural Research Institute of the Volcani Center, he also served as advisor to the Israel Agricultural Ministry’s Genetic Engineering Consortium.
Today Avner Galili is pleased with Juran’s steady growth.
“From marketing their equipment to the small local market, Juran has grown into a company with a worldwide presence, whose technologies and systems are operational on five continents. It keeps me busy,” he concludes.
