Polyphenols Extraction Plants

Black Garlic Extract Powder

Purity Levels

1% - 3% S-allyl-cysteine (SAC) by UV

Mechotech supplies the complete machinery for black garlic extract powder production, standardised to 1%-3% S-allyl-cysteine (SAC) by UV. Black garlic is not raw garlic — it is whole garlic bulbs aged under controlled heat and humidity over several weeks, a Maillard-driven fermentation that converts pungent, odourless Alliin into a dark, sweet, umami bulb rich in SAC and melanoidins. Our turnkey plant handles the controlled ageing as well as the downstream extraction, concentration, and spray drying of these actives into a standardised free-flowing powder for the nutraceutical, functional food, and pharmaceutical markets.

Mechotech's black garlic extract powder plant is engineered around a two-stage process that raw-garlic extraction plants do not require: a controlled ageing/fermentation stage that converts fresh bulbs into black garlic, followed by low-temperature aqueous-ethanol extraction of the aged bulb. During ageing, humidity- and temperature-controlled chambers hold whole garlic at approximately 60-80°C and 70-90% relative humidity for 2-6 weeks, driving non-enzymatic Maillard browning that builds S-allyl-cysteine and melanoidin content while eliminating the sharp allicin-driven pungency of fresh garlic. The aged bulbs are then extracted, filtered, concentrated with closed-loop solvent recovery, and spray-dried to a standardised, low-moisture SAC- and polyphenol-rich powder. Built in SS 316L with electropolished product-contact surfaces, PLC-based automation, and full documentation, each plant is delivered as a commissioned turnkey system configured to the declared 1%-3% SAC by UV specification.

Technical Specifications

Product	Black Garlic Extract Powder Extraction Plant
Botanical Source	Allium sativum (aged/fermented whole bulb)
Raw Material	Fresh garlic bulbs, aged in-house to black garlic before extraction
Plant Part	Whole bulb (aged)
Extract Type	Standardised dry extract (powder)
Standardisation	1%-3% S-allyl-cysteine (SAC) by UV
Pre-treatment	Controlled-humidity thermal ageing/fermentation (Maillard conversion), 2-6 weeks
Extraction Method	Low-temperature aqueous-ethanol extraction, closed jacketed SS 316L extractors
Product-contact Material	SS 316L, electropolished, CIP-cleanable
Filtration System	Plate-and-frame filter press with cartridge polish filtration
Concentration System	Falling-film / forced-circulation vacuum evaporator with closed-loop solvent recovery
Drying System	Spray dryer
Automation	PLC-SCADA with recipe management for ageing-chamber and extraction parameters, batch traceability
Plant Capacity	Configured to requirement, pilot to commercial scale
Utility Requirements	Steam, chilled/cooling water, compressed air, soft water, power (project-specific)
Compliance	GMP hygienic design; full documentation for qualification
Final Product Form	Free-flowing standardised extract powder

Plant Capacities

Plant Scale	Ageing Chamber Throughput	Typical Use
Pilot	Configured to your feedstock and trial plan	Product development, SAC-yield validation
Semi-Commercial	Configured between pilot and commercial scale	Contract manufacturing, scale-up trials
Commercial	Configured to raw-material supply and confirmed buyer volume	Export-grade continuous production

Ageing-chamber capacity is sized ahead of extraction capacity, since fresh bulb loses roughly 60-70% of its weight as moisture during the multi-week ageing cycle. We recommend a pilot plant to validate ageing time, SAC development and extraction yield before scaling.

Manufacturing Process

Raw Material Reception & Curing

Fresh, mature garlic bulbs are inspected for maturity and moisture content, then cured to stabilise the outer skin before entering the ageing chamber.

Controlled Ageing (Fermentation)

Whole, unpeeled bulbs are loaded into humidity- and temperature-controlled ageing chambers and held at approximately 60-80°C and 70-90% relative humidity for 2-6 weeks. This non-enzymatic Maillard reaction darkens the cloves, builds S-allyl-cysteine (SAC) and melanoidin content, and converts the sharp allicin-driven pungency of fresh garlic into a soft, sweet, umami profile — this is the defining, time-driven pre-treatment step unique to black garlic and is fundamentally different from the enzymatic Alliin-to-Allicin conversion used for fresh garlic oleoresin.

Raw Material Preparation

Aged black garlic bulbs are peeled, inspected, and milled to a uniform slurry or paste. Moisture and SAC content are verified before the extraction batch is dosed for a consistent target yield.

Extraction

Milled black garlic is extracted with warm water or aqueous ethanol (40-60% v/v) in closed jacketed SS 316L extractors at 40-60°C. The aqueous-ethanol system captures both water-soluble SAC and melanoidins and the polyphenol fraction while limiting thermal degradation.

Filtration

The extract (miscella) is clarified through a plate-and-frame filter press followed by 1-5 micron cartridge polish filters to remove pulp and fine solids before concentration.

Vacuum Concentration

The clarified extract is concentrated in a falling-film or forced-circulation evaporator at 50-65°C under vacuum, with solvent recovered through the condenser return system.

Standardisation

The concentrate is assayed for S-allyl-cysteine content by UV and blended or maltodextrin-adjusted to the declared 1%-3% powder specification before drying.

Spray Drying & Quality Control

The standardised concentrate is spray-dried to a free-flowing powder with controlled inlet/outlet temperature to preserve the actives. Each batch undergoes UV assay, residual solvent, heavy metals, microbial, and moisture testing before release.

Major Plant Equipment

Humidity- and temperature-controlled ageing/fermentation chambers
Bulb curing and pre-ageing storage racks
Peeling and milling system
Jacketed SS 316L extraction vessels
Solvent storage & metering tanks
Plate-and-frame filter press
Cartridge polish filtration
Falling-film / forced-circulation vacuum evaporator
Closed-loop solvent recovery system
Condensers & vacuum pumps
Spray dryer
CIP (clean-in-place) system
Storage tanks & finished-product tanks
PLC-SCADA control panel, electrical MCC & instrumentation

Plant Output

Black Garlic Extract Powder — 1% SAC by UVBlack Garlic Extract Powder — 2% SAC by UV (standard grade)Black Garlic Extract Powder — 3% SAC by UVAged Black Garlic Paste / Concentrate (intermediate, on request)

Applications

Nutraceutical antioxidant capsule and tablet formulations
Functional food and dietary supplement manufacturing
Cardiovascular and immune-support supplement blends
Pharmaceutical standardised botanical ingredient supply
Sports nutrition and wellness product manufacturing
Export to nutraceutical ingredient buyers in regulated markets

Key Features

Integrated Ageing Chamber & Extraction Line
A single turnkey scope covers the humidity- and temperature-controlled ageing chambers that convert fresh garlic into black garlic, plus the downstream extraction, concentration and drying line — buyers do not need to source aged black garlic separately.
GMP Hygienic SS 316L Construction
All product-contact surfaces are electropolished SS 316L, using GMP hygienic design for food and nutraceutical extract manufacturing, with clean-in-place (CIP) operation between batches.
Low-Temperature Actives Protection
Closed extraction at 40-60°C and vacuum concentration at 50-65°C preserve the heat-sensitive S-allyl-cysteine and polyphenol fraction that gives black garlic its antioxidant value.
Closed-Loop Solvent Recovery
Integrated condenser-distillation recovery returns ethanol per batch for reuse.
Integrated Spray Drying
A matched spray dryer converts the standardised concentrate into a free-flowing, low-moisture powder ready for encapsulation and blending, completing the turnkey powder line.
Scalable Batch Capacity
Plants are configured from pilot scale to commercial capacity, with a modular design that allows expansion without replacing core equipment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is black garlic extract powder and why is it commercially extracted?

Black garlic extract powder is the concentrated, spray-dried extract of aged black garlic, standardised to 1%-3% S-allyl-cysteine (SAC) by UV. Ageing converts pungent, variable-composition fresh garlic into a stable, sweet, odourless bulb rich in SAC and melanoidins, which the plant then extracts and standardises into a consistent, buyer-ready antioxidant powder for nutraceutical, functional food, and pharmaceutical use.

How is black garlic different from Mechotech's Garlic and Garlic Extract (Allium Sativum) product lines?

Mechotech's Garlic and Garlic Extract (Allium Sativum) plants process fresh or dried raw garlic, using enzymatic Alliinase conversion to build Allicin as the target active. Black garlic starts from a completely different raw-material state: whole bulbs are first aged for 2-6 weeks under controlled heat and humidity, a Maillard-driven fermentation (not an enzymatic reaction) that develops S-allyl-cysteine and melanoidins while the bulb loses its raw pungency. The two lines target different compounds (SAC vs. Allicin) from different raw-material states (aged vs. fresh/dried) and are not interchangeable or duplicative.

Does Mechotech supply the ageing/fermentation equipment, or only the extraction line?

Mechotech supplies both. The turnkey scope includes the humidity- and temperature-controlled ageing chambers that convert fresh garlic bulbs into black garlic, plus the downstream milling, extraction, filtration, vacuum concentration with solvent recovery, and spray drying — engineered, fabricated at our Hyderabad facility, installed, and commissioned as a single integrated plant.

How long does the black garlic ageing process take, and can it be adjusted?

Ageing typically runs 2-6 weeks at approximately 60-80°C and 70-90% relative humidity, depending on bulb size, desired colour/flavour development and target SAC yield. Mechotech's ageing chambers are PLC-controlled so time, temperature and humidity profiles can be tuned and repeated batch to batch for consistent input to the extraction stage.

What extraction method does Mechotech use for black garlic extract powder?

Mechotech uses closed low-temperature aqueous or aqueous-ethanol extraction to capture both the water-soluble S-allyl-cysteine and melanoidins and the polyphenol fraction, followed by vacuum concentration and spray drying. The process is engineered around the heat-sensitive chemistry of aged black garlic to maximise actives recovery while preserving assay.

What specification can the black garlic extract powder plant achieve?

The plant is engineered to reach 1%-3% S-allyl-cysteine (SAC) by UV, confirmed by batch-release testing with full certificate-of-analysis documentation covering assay, residual solvent, heavy metals, microbial limits and moisture.

What production capacities are available for the black garlic extract powder plant?

Mechotech manufactures black garlic extract powder plants from pilot scale for product development to commercial scale for established exporters. Because the ageing step reduces bulb weight by roughly 60-70% before extraction even begins, ageing-chamber capacity is sized ahead of extraction capacity; we recommend a pilot plant to validate ageing time, SAC development and extraction yield before scaling.

Which industries use black garlic extract powder?

Nutraceutical and dietary-supplement manufacturers targeting antioxidant, cardiovascular and immune-support formulations, functional-food producers, and pharmaceutical companies sourcing standardised botanical ingredients all use black garlic extract powder for its consistent SAC content and mild, odour-free profile compared with raw garlic actives.

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Black Garlic Extract Powder