Executive Summary
A spice ingredient manufacturer required a fully integrated, GMP-oriented Turmeric Oleoresin Extraction Plant to produce premium-quality Turmeric Oleoresin, Curcuminoid-Rich Oleoresin, and Natural Turmeric Colour for the food, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, cosmetic, and flavour industries.
The customer required a turnkey plant capable of achieving maximum oleoresin yield, preserving volatile aromatic compounds, minimising solvent consumption, and producing export-quality products with consistent colour value and curcuminoid concentration.
Mechotech successfully engineered, manufactured, installed, and commissioned a Turmeric Oleoresin Processing Plant incorporating advanced solvent extraction, multi-stage filtration, vacuum evaporation, solvent recovery, polishing filtration, oleoresin standardisation, and intelligent PLC-SCADA automation.
Customer Background
The customer supplies turmeric oleoresin to food ingredient manufacturers, spice blend companies, flavour & fragrance industries, nutraceutical manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, cosmetic manufacturers, and global export markets. Due to increasing international demand, the customer required a high-capacity automated extraction facility capable of meeting global food safety and pharmaceutical standards.
Customer Challenges
Before implementing the new plant, the customer experienced:
- Low oleoresin recovery
- High solvent consumption
- Loss of volatile aromatic compounds
- Inconsistent colour values
- Long batch processing times
- High steam consumption
- Manual process variations
- Limited production capacity
- Difficulty meeting export specifications
Project Objectives
Mechotech was entrusted to design a plant capable of:
- Processing 20 MT/day of Turmeric Rhizomes
- Producing premium Turmeric Oleoresin
- Preserving natural aroma compounds
- Maximising curcuminoid recovery
- Closed-loop solvent recovery
- Reducing utility consumption
- Documentation to support the customer's quality and regulatory qualification
- Supporting future expansion
Raw Material
- Botanical Name
- Curcuma longa
- Common Name
- Turmeric
- Plant Part Used
- Dried Rhizomes
- Moisture Content
- 8–10%
- Daily Processing Capacity
- 20,000 kg/day
Finished Product
Available Options
Applications
- Food Processing
- Spice Blends
- Instant Foods
- Sauces & Dressings
- Dairy Products
- Nutraceutical Capsules
- Pharmaceutical Formulations
- Cosmetics
- Natural Colour Formulations
Process Flow
Process Description
Raw Material Preparation
High-quality turmeric rhizomes are cleaned, dried, and milled to an optimised particle size to maximise extraction efficiency.
Solvent Extraction
Prepared turmeric powder is processed in stainless steel extraction vessels using food-grade solvents under optimised temperature and pressure conditions.
The extraction process provides:
- High oleoresin recovery
- Preservation of volatile oils
- Uniform extraction
- Reduced solvent consumption
Primary Filtration
The extract passes through pressure filtration systems to remove suspended particles while maintaining oleoresin recovery.
Vacuum Evaporation
Clarified extract is concentrated under reduced pressure using energy-efficient vacuum evaporators.
Advantages include:
- Preservation of aroma compounds
- Lower thermal degradation
- Reduced steam consumption
- Better product stability
Solvent Recovery
The plant incorporates Mechotech's advanced multi-stage solvent recovery system.
Recovered solvent is:
- Condensed
- Purified
- Stored
- Reused
Solvent is recovered for reuse.
Polishing Filtration
Fine filtration removes residual impurities and enhances product clarity while maintaining natural colour and flavour.
Standardisation
Oleoresin is standardised according to customer specifications for:
- Curcuminoid Content
- Colour Value
- Volatile Oil Content
- Viscosity
- Moisture
- Residual Solvent Limits
Major Equipment Supplied
- Raw Material Cleaning System
- Hammer Mill
- Stainless Steel Extractors
- Solvent Storage Tanks
- Transfer Pumps
- Pressure Leaf Filters
- Vacuum Evaporator
- Solvent Recovery System
- Condensers
- Polishing Filters
- Ribbon Blender
- Storage Tanks
- CIP System
- PLC-SCADA Automation Panel
- Electrical MCC
- Instrumentation Package
Automation Features
The plant incorporates advanced automation featuring:
- Recipe-Based Batch Control
- Automatic Extraction Sequencing
- Temperature Monitoring
- Pressure Monitoring
- Solvent Flow Control
- Vacuum Control
- Alarm Management
- Batch Traceability
- Production Reporting
- Utility Monitoring
- Remote Diagnostics
- Industry 4.0 Connectivity
GMP & Safety Features
The facility is designed with hygienic, GMP-oriented practice in view; the standards that apply to the client's facility and product are scoped per project. Key features include:
- SS 316L product-contact surfaces
- Hygienic sanitary piping
- Closed-loop solvent handling
- Flameproof electrical systems
- Explosion-proof instrumentation
- Nitrogen blanketing
- Pressure relief systems
- Emergency shutdown interlocks
- CIP-compatible hygienic design
- Validation-ready construction
Plant Utilities
- Steam Boiler
- Cooling Tower
- Chilled Water System
- Vacuum System
- Air Compressor
- Electrical Power
- Soft Water System
- Nitrogen Supply
Sustainability Features
Mechotech integrates sustainable engineering into every project through:
- Closed-loop solvent recovery
- Heat recovery systems
- Energy-efficient vacuum evaporation
- Water recycling
- Low-emission processing
- Reduced wastewater generation
- Optimised steam utilisation
- Automated CIP optimisation
Customer Benefits
Following successful commissioning, the customer achieved:
- Higher oleoresin yield
- Improved curcuminoid recovery
- Consistent colour value
- Closed-loop solvent recovery
- Lower production costs
- Reduced utility consumption
- Increased production capacity
- Designed to support commercial viability
Plants Used In This Project
Why Mechotech?
Mechotech is a manufacturer of turnkey extraction and spice processing plants. Our expertise in oleoresin extraction, solvent recovery, vacuum concentration, process automation, and GMP-oriented engineering enables customers to manufacture spice extracts.
Conclusion
The Turmeric Oleoresin Extraction Plant from Mechotech is an advanced turnkey solution for producing premium-quality Turmeric Oleoresin with high curcuminoid content. Through intelligent automation, efficient solvent recovery, hygienic GMP design, and energy-efficient engineering, the plant combines these process stages in a single turnkey solution.
Key Technical Highlights
- Raw Material
- Curcuma longa (Turmeric Rhizomes)
- Finished Products
- Turmeric Oleoresin, Curcuminoid-Rich Oleoresin, Natural Turmeric Colour
- Extraction Technology
- Advanced Solvent Extraction
- Solvent Recovery
- Established during process development
- Automation
- PLC-SCADA with Industry 4.0 Integration
- Construction Material
- SS 304 / SS 316L
- Compliance
- Hygienic, GMP-oriented design with documentation to support the client's qualification; applicable standards are scoped per project
- Applications
- Food Ingredients, Nutraceuticals, Pharmaceuticals, Cosmetics, Natural Colours, Spice Processing
Why Global Manufacturers Choose Mechotech
- engineering excellence
- Complete turnkey project execution—from process design to commissioning
- Customised plants from 100 kg/day pilot units to commercial systems
- High-efficiency solvent recovery technology
- Energy-saving multi-effect evaporation systems
- Fully automated PLC-SCADA process control
- Hygienic, GMP-oriented design with documentation to support the client's qualification; applicable standards are scoped per project
- Comprehensive installation, validation, operator training, and after-sales technical support
- Expertise in herbal extracts, oleoresins, essential oils, nutraceuticals, and food processing plants
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