Tetra Pak, Lausanne, Switzerland, this week announced that the world’s largest capacity food processing homogenizer has gone into operation with its first customer. The Tetra Pak® Homogenizer 500 can produce up to 63,600 liters per hour, offering outstanding product quality at the lowest operational cost available.

The machine features Tetra Pak’s pioneering HD EnergyIQ, a homogenizing device that uses six gaps, rather than one, enabling it to operate at pressures around 20% lower than standard machines, while delivering the same quality end product. The result is a significant reduction in energy consumption, and considerably reduced costs.

In addition, the lower operating pressure means lower wear. Coupled with a design that allows easy service access, the Tetra Pak Homogenizer 500 offers the highest uptime for customers in the market. Like all aseptic Tetra Pak homogenizers, the machine also uses 80% less cooling water and 70% less steam compared with many alternative brands.

The new homogenizer was launched in partnership with Chinese food company YinLu. Wu Zhong Ping, GM of Yinlu’s plant in Anhui, said that "our peanut milk is a best seller in the market and is gaining popularity among young consumers. The opportunity to use the Tetra Pak Homogenizer 500 came at a time when we were looking for efficient ways to expand production and capture market growth. The machine delivers exactly what we want: it does the job of two machines with increased production and reduced operational costs, and there is no compromise on the product quality."

Anders Karlsson, technical director, Tetra Pak Group, said that "launching the world’s largest capacity homogenizer means that our customers can achieve significant economies of scale, producing more for a lower cost per liter. This is vital for dairy and beverage producers seeking to meet growing consumer demand."