Vegatables - Balck Carrot / Black Currant
Vegatables - Balck Carrot / Black Currant
Mechotech designs and manufactures turnkey natural colour extraction plants for black carrot and black currant colour (catalogue spelling: Vegatables - Balck Carrot / Black Currant). In the Mechotech catalogue, the entry is listed in the Grey to Black Colour group alongside Galls - Oak Galls, Leaves - Sumac, Hulls - Walnut, Roots - Iris, Dried Bean - Black Beans and Grains - Black Rice. Mechotech’s natural food colour article lists red cabbage and black carrot among the anthocyanin sources, and its red colour article describes anthocyanins from purple carrot and berries; the red colour article also names blackcurrant among the richest anthocyanin sources, but no source ties this catalogue entry to a black currant plant part or shade, and the plant part is not stated. Mechotech’s Grey to Black Colour hub page describes anthocyanins in pigmented grains, beans and vegetables as one of the two colour mechanisms in the group. The shade, the pigment and the feed are confirmed with the client.
Mechotech’s Vegatables - Balck Carrot / Black Currant plant is configured around the raw material 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. Where the pigment is an anthocyanin, Mechotech’s articles describe extraction with mildly acidified water or aqueous ethanol at gentle temperature, concentration, and stabilisation by acidic pH, antioxidants and drying; the route, the solvent and the conditions are established during process development and pilot validation on the client’s raw material.
Technical Specifications
| Product | Vegatables - Balck Carrot / Black Currant Natural Colour Extraction Plant |
|---|---|
| Raw Material | Black carrot and black currant (catalogue name: Vegatables - Balck Carrot / Black Currant) |
| Botanical Name | Not stated in the product tree; Mechotech’s Black Currant page names Ribes nigrum for black currant buds, and no source names the carrot species |
| Plant Part / Feed Form | Not stated for either raw material; black carrot is described as a vegetable, and the plant part of black currant (berries or pomace, as against the buds on the Black Currant page) is confirmed with the client |
| Colour Group | Grey to Black Colour (see the Grey to Black Colour page) |
| Colour-forming Components | Anthocyanins for black carrot (per Mechotech’s natural food colour article); anthocyanins are also named for blackcurrant in Mechotech’s red colour article, but the plant part and shade for this entry are confirmed with the client |
| Process Category | Natural Colour Extraction Plants |
| Extract Type | Natural colour extract (liquid concentrate or dried powder, per specification) |
| Extraction Method | Extraction with mildly acidified water or aqueous ethanol where the pigment is an anthocyanin (per Mechotech’s articles), in closed jacketed SS 316L vessels; route 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 colour extract (grey to black 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
The chosen raw material is authenticated, cleaned, tested for moisture and chopped, pulped or macerated so the solvent can reach the tissue; the feed form is confirmed with the client.
Extraction
Where the pigment is an anthocyanin, Mechotech’s articles describe steeping in mildly acidified water or aqueous ethanol, often with a little citric acid, at gentle temperature because anthocyanins degrade when overheated. The solvent, temperature and pH for the client’s material are set during process development.
Filtration
The extract is clarified through a plate-and-frame filter press and cartridge polish filters, or by centrifugation.
Concentration & Solvent Recovery
The clarified extract is concentrated in a falling-film / vacuum evaporator, with solvent recovered through the condenser return system where ethanol is used.
Standardisation & Stabilisation
The concentrate is adjusted to the declared target colour specification, such as shade and colour strength; Mechotech’s anthocyanin articles name acidic pH, antioxidant additives and drying or microencapsulation as stabilising steps.
Drying & Quality Control
The standardised extract is supplied as a liquid concentrate or spray- or freeze-dried to a powder, per specification, then released after assay, residual-solvent (where ethanol is used), heavy-metal, microbial and moisture testing.
Major Plant Equipment
- Raw material cleaning, authentication and moisture testing
- Size-reduction 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
- Standardisation / blending vessel
- Spray or vacuum dryer
- CIP system
- Automation and instrumentation
Plant Output
Applications
- Natural anthocyanin colour for food and beverage, where the pigment is an anthocyanin (per Mechotech’s natural food colour article)
- Cosmetic and personal-care colour applications (subject to the shade obtained)
- Natural colour and dye ingredient supply
Key Features
SS 316L Construction
Electropolished SS 316L product-contact surfaces with CIP operation between batches.
Anthocyanin-Aware Route
The plant follows Mechotech’s articles for anthocyanin sources, with acidified extraction at gentle temperature and pH-controlled stabilisation, confirmed on the client’s material.
Shade Set in Trials
No source states the shade this entry gives in the Grey to Black group, so it is established on pilot runs rather than assumed.
Closed-Loop Solvent Recovery
Where ethanol is used, integrated condenser-return recovery reuses solvent between batches.
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 Vegatables - Balck Carrot / Black Currant?
What specification can the Vegatables - Balck Carrot / Black Currant plant achieve?
What production capacities are available for the Vegatables - Balck Carrot / Black Currant plant?
Which industries use the Vegatables - Balck Carrot / Black Currant plant?
Which raw materials and which parts does this page cover?
What pigment do these raw materials give?
Does this page produce a grey or black colour?
How does this page differ from the other black currant and carrot pages?
Where does this page sit in the Grey to Black Colour range?
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