In the global dairy and juice beverage industry, ensuring product quality remains a top priority for manufacturers. Vacuum degasser play a crucial role in ensuring this quality. These devices effectively remove harmful gases from liquid products, addressing key production challenges and enhancing the market competitiveness of the final product.
I. Core Working Principle: Gas Removal
Vacuum degasser operate based on a fundamental principle of physical chemistry: at a constant temperature, the solubility of a gas in a liquid is proportional to the partial pressure of that gas above the liquid surface.
For dairy and juice beverages, the main harmful gases include oxygen, carbon dioxide, and bubbles introduced during the production process (such as mixing, homogenization, and pumping). A vacuum degasser creates a low-pressure vacuum within its degassing chamber. Within this vacuum, the partial pressure of gases above the liquid surface drops dramatically, causing dissolved gases and microbubbles in the beverage to lose their solubility. These gases then expand and coalesce into larger bubbles, rising to the liquid surface where they are ultimately extracted and discharged by a vacuum pump.
Crucially, this process takes place at near-ambient temperatures, preventing the degradation of heat-sensitive nutrients—such as proteins in milk or vitamins in fresh juice—due to high temperatures. This contrasts sharply with thermal degassing processes.
II. Customized Workflow for Dairy and Juice Beverages
Dairy and juice beverages have unique properties, requiring specialized adjustments to the degassing process. The standard vacuum degassing workflow for these products consists of four key stages:
Stage 1: Controlled Feed
The raw liquid (e.g., raw milk, fresh juice) is delivered to the degasser via a variable-speed centrifugal pump. This pump provides a steady, low-turbulence feed flow—critical for avoiding the entrainment of additional air. For higher-viscosity dairy products (e.g., yogurt drinks), the pump must be calibrated to prevent shear forces that could disrupt the product's texture.
Stage 2: Film Formation and Gas Release
In the degassing chamber, the liquid flows through a distributor. This component disperses the liquid into a uniform film or fine droplets, maximizing the contact area between the liquid and the vacuum environment. For dairy products, the film thickness must be controlled at approximately 0.5-1 mm to balance degassing efficiency and preventing milk fat separation. For juices containing fruit pulp, a larger nozzle diameter is required to prevent pulp from clogging the equipment. In a vacuum environment, dissolved oxygen and carbon dioxide rapidly escape from the liquid film.
Stage 3: Gas-Liquid Separation
Rising bubbles are drawn into a gas collector at the top of the degassing chamber. A vacuum pump continuously extracts these gases and discharges them outside the system, minimizing liquid loss and preventing pump corrosion.
Stage 4: Stabilized Pressure Discharge
After degassing, the liquid is conveyed out of the degassing chamber via a backpressure valve. This valve adjusts the outlet pressure to match the pressure of the next stage of the production line (such as dairy homogenization or juice pasteurization), preventing air from re-dissolving into the liquid due to pressure differentials.
III. Core Advantages for the Dairy and Juice Industries
A vacuum degasser is more than just a "degassing device"; it is a device specifically designed to address industry pain points. Its core advantages include:
① Preserving nutrients and natural quality
As a low-temperature process, vacuum degassing prevents ingredient degradation caused by high temperatures. For dairy products, it prevents milk protein denaturation, maintaining the rich texture of products like whole milk and ice cream premixes.
② Inhibiting spoilage and extending shelf life
Oxygen is a major factor in product spoilage:
In the dairy sector, oxygen triggers fat oxidation and promotes the growth of aerobic bacteria (such as Pseudomonas), shortening shelf life by 30%-50%.
In the juice sector, oxygen triggers enzymatic browning and causes oxidative discoloration of natural pigments.
By removing 80%-98% of dissolved oxygen, vacuum degassing can extend the shelf life of refrigerated milk from 7-10 days to 14-21 days, and the shelf life of freshly squeezed juice from 3-5 days to 7-10 days.
③ Improved Production Efficiency
Undissolved bubbles can interfere with subsequent production steps:
During the homogenization process, bubbles reduce the efficiency of fat globule fragmentation, resulting in an uneven product texture;
During the juice filling process, bubbles can cause inaccurate metering and spillage during filling.
④ Compliance with Global Food Safety Standards
High-quality vacuum degassing machines are constructed of 304/316L stainless steel (resistant to corrosion from acidic juices and dairy by-products) and meet international certification standards.
IV. Critical Impact on Dairy and Juice Product Quality
For Dairy Products
Flavor Stability: Prevents milk fat oxidation, maintains milk freshness, and eliminates odors;
Uniform Texture: Eliminates bubbles, preventing "fizziness" in yogurt and a "grainy" texture in cheese sauce;
Nutrient Compatibility: Preserves calcium, vitamin D, and B vitamins, meeting consumer demand for "nutrient-dense" dairy products.
For juice products:
Color preservation: Prevents enzymatic browning and pigment oxidation, maintaining the vibrant color of apple juice, grape juice, and other products.
Freshness preservation: Removes carbon dioxide and volatile off-flavors that can lead to a flat flavor, preserving the "freshly squeezed" aroma of the juice.
Pulp integrity: For pulp-containing juices, a gentle degassing process avoids damaging fruit fibers and maintains a natural taste.
As consumers increasingly prioritize fresh, natural, and long-lasting beverages, vacuum degassing has become a must-have for dairy and juice producers worldwide.
Weishu equipment combines efficient degassing, nutrient preservation, and regulatory compliance and safety, solving production challenges while helping brands create competitive, high-quality products.
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