Olive Pulp & Pomace

Accurately measuring the moisture level in olive pulp and pomace is paramount for growers and processors. This measurement not only impacts growers’ compensation but also determines the quality of olives. MoistTech’s IR-3000 sensor is the ideal solution for online olive moisture and oil measurement, providing critical data for optimizing processing and ensuring product quality.

Since farmers often receive payment based on moisture & oil content, and not simply weight, both the olive producers & processors profit from being able to make instantaneous on-line. Assessing oil and moisture levels in olives allows for the enhancement of yield by cultivating olive varieties with high oil content, harvesting the crop at the right moment, and refining the oil extraction procedure. 

There are multiple processes available for extracting oil from olives. The traditional methods involve the use of hydraulic presses, while more recent techniques utilize decanter centrifugation. In the latter process, the olives and stones are ground to create a fine paste, which is then beaten to break up the oil/water emulsion and form larger droplets of oil.

Prior to being pumped into a large horizontal centrifuge/decanter, water is added to the paste. Once inside the centrifuge, the high-speed spinning causes the different phases to separate based on their densities. This results in the formation of a solid fraction known as pomace, as well as separate liquid fractions consisting of oil and vegetable water. To further separate any remaining water and oil, the two liquid fractions undergo another round of centrifugation at even higher speeds.