Leaves - Spinach / Chamomile / Nettle
Leaves - Spinach / Chamomile / Nettle
Mechotech designs and manufactures turnkey natural colour extraction plants for the leaves of spinach, chamomile and nettle. In the Mechotech catalogue, Leaves - Spinach / Chamomile / Nettle is listed in the Green Colour group alongside Flowers - Tea Tree / Yarrow / Black Eyed Susans, Plant - Larkspur / Dyer’s Broom and Skins - Red Onions. Mechotech’s natural food colour article lists spinach (chlorophyll) among plant colour sources, and Mechotech’s chlorophyll case study names spinach leaves among its green-leaf raw materials. No Mechotech source states the pigment of chamomile or nettle, and Mechotech’s chamomile pages describe chamomile as a flower raw material, so the chamomile plant part, species and pigment are confirmed with the client. The catalogue lists three plants in one entry; the plant is configured around the raw material chosen and the target colour extract.
Mechotech’s Leaves - Spinach / Chamomile / Nettle plant is configured around the raw material chosen from the entry and the target colour extract. It is built in SS 316L with integrated solvent recovery, automation and full documentation, and is delivered as a commissioned turnkey system. For a green colour the pigment is typically chlorophyll, which is sensitive to heat and acid, so the line is configured for gentle solvent extraction, vacuum solvent recovery and concentration, and, where a water-soluble product is wanted, an optional chlorophyllin conversion step, following the route of Mechotech’s delivered chlorophyll plant. Whether chamomile and nettle suit the same route is established during process development and pilot validation.
Technical Specifications
| Product | Leaves - Spinach / Chamomile / Nettle Natural Colour Extraction Plant |
|---|---|
| Raw Material | Spinach, chamomile and nettle (catalogue name: Leaves - Spinach / Chamomile / Nettle) |
| Botanical Name | Spinach: Spinacia oleracea (Mechotech’s chlorophyll case study and Spinach Extract Plant page). Nettle: Urtica dioica (Mechotech’s Nettle Leaf Extract page). Chamomile: the species is not stated for this listing and is confirmed with the client; Mechotech’s German Chamomile / Blue Chamomile page names Matricaria chamomilla for chamomile flowers |
| Plant Part / Feed Form | Leaves, per the catalogue name (the chlorophyll case study uses fresh or dried green leaves); the chamomile plant part (leaf or flower) and the exact feed form are confirmed with the client |
| Colour Group | Green Colour (see the Green Colour page) |
| Colour-forming Components | Spinach: chlorophyll (per the natural food colour article). Chamomile and nettle: pigment not stated in any Mechotech source; confirmed during process development |
| Process Category | Natural Colour Extraction Plants |
| Extract Type | Natural green colour extract (liquid or dried powder, per specification; chlorophyllin where a water-soluble product is wanted) |
| Extraction Method | Food-grade solvent extraction in closed jacketed SS 316L vessels at controlled temperature, as in Mechotech’s chlorophyll case study; the route is confirmed during process development |
| Product-contact Material | SS 316L |
| Filtration System | Plate-and-frame filter press with cartridge polish filters |
| Concentration System | Falling-film / vacuum evaporator with solvent recovery where a solvent is used |
| Drying System | Spray or vacuum dryer, where a powder is required |
| Automation | PLC-based |
| Plant Capacity | Configured to requirement |
| Utility Requirements | Steam, chilled/cooling water, compressed air and power (project-specific) |
| Compliance | GMP hygienic design; full documentation for qualification |
| Final Product Form | Natural green colour extract (green colour group) |
Plant Capacities
| Plant Scale | Raw Material Throughput | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| Pilot | Configured to your feedstock and trial plan | Product development, parameter validation |
| Semi-Commercial | Configured between pilot and commercial scale | Scale-up trials, contract manufacturing |
| Commercial | Configured to raw-material supply and confirmed buyer volume | Commercial production |
Capacity is configured to raw-material supply, confirmed buyer volume and investment timeline; a pilot plant is recommended to validate parameters before scaling.
Manufacturing Process
Raw Material Preparation
Fresh or dried green leaves are authenticated, cleaned, inspected, dried where required and milled to a uniform particle size, which the chlorophyll case study describes as maximising pigment extraction while preserving chlorophyll integrity.
Extraction
The prepared leaves are extracted in closed jacketed SS 316L vessels with food-grade solvent under controlled conditions, as in the chlorophyll case study; because chlorophyll is sensitive to heat and acid, the temperature and solvent are set gently during process development.
Filtration
The extract is separated from the spent leaf and clarified through a plate-and-frame filter press followed by cartridge polish filters.
Concentration & Solvent Recovery
The extract is concentrated in a falling-film / vacuum evaporator, with solvent recovered under vacuum through the condenser return system.
Purification & Optional Chlorophyllin Conversion
Where required the concentrate is purified, and where a water-soluble product is wanted it can be converted to chlorophyllin; both steps appear in the chlorophyll case study’s process flow. Whether either applies to chamomile or nettle is established during process development.
Standardisation, Finishing & Quality Control
The extract is assayed and adjusted to the declared target colour specification, finished as a liquid formulation or spray- or vacuum-dried to a powder, per specification, then released after assay, residual-solvent, heavy-metal, microbial and moisture testing.
Major Plant Equipment
- Raw material cleaning, authentication and moisture testing
- Leaf drying (optional) and milling system
- Closed jacketed SS 316L extraction vessels
- Solvent storage tanks
- Plate-and-frame filter press
- Cartridge polish filtration
- Falling-film / vacuum evaporator
- Solvent recovery unit and condensers
- Purification and optional chlorophyllin-conversion stage (configured to requirement)
- Standardisation / blending vessel
- Spray or vacuum dryer
- CIP system
- Automation and instrumentation
Plant Output
Case Study
Chlorophyll Extraction & Natural Green Colour Manufacturing Plant
See how this plant was engineered and delivered for a real project.
Applications
- Natural green colour ingredient supply for food colouring (subject to approval of the specific colour in each market)
- Beverage and functional-food colour applications
- Dietary supplement formulations
- Cosmetic, personal-care and oral-care colour applications
- Pharmaceutical preparations
Key Features
SS 316L Construction
Electropolished SS 316L product-contact surfaces with CIP operation between batches.
Closed-Loop Solvent Recovery
Where a solvent route is used, integrated condenser-return recovery reuses solvent between batches and reduces solvent loss.
Standardised to Specification
In-process and batch-release assay are used to check the finished extract against the agreed target specification, such as shade and colour strength.
Gentle Processing for Chlorophyll
Chlorophyll is sensitive to heat and acid, so the line is configured around gentle extraction and vacuum concentration, with an optional chlorophyllin conversion step where a water-soluble product is wanted.
Scalable Batch Capacity
Plants are configured to requirement from pilot scale upward, with modular expansion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Mechotech supply the complete machinery for Leaves - Spinach / Chamomile / Nettle?
What specification can the Leaves - Spinach / Chamomile / Nettle plant achieve?
What production capacities are available for the Leaves - Spinach / Chamomile / Nettle plant?
Which industries use the Leaves - Spinach / Chamomile / Nettle plant?
Which raw materials and plant parts are processed in the Leaves - Spinach / Chamomile / Nettle plant?
What gives these leaves a green colour?
How is a green colour extract produced from leaves?
What is chlorophyllin, and is it part of this plant?
How does this page differ from the herbal extract pages for the same plants?
Where does this page sit in the green colour range?
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