Integrierte Vermeidung und Verminderung der Umweltverschmutzung

2.2.3.10 Heat treated and frozen vegetables
Chapter 2
Process conditions vary depending upon the vegetable type, but preliminary operations for both
heat treated and frozen vegetables are similar to those described in Section 2.2.3.3 for fruits.
They usually involve washing, grading and screening to remove extraneous matter such as
stones and dirt. After washing, the vegetables are peeled and may be trimmed. After peeling the
vegetables may be left whole or cut in a number of ways such as sliced or diced. Some
vegetables are washed after slicing to remove the surface starch. Most vegetables require
blanching. Steam or water blanching are the most common methods. The product is then cooled
rapidly. After cooling, the product may be re-inspected and screened before being quick frozen
or filled into cans or glass jars, usually with a hot brine, e.g. sugar, salt or acid, and then heat
processed. Vegetables generally undergo a full sterilisation process as the pH is too high to
inhibit microbial action.
2.2.3.11 Pickling of vegetables
In a typical pickling process, raw vegetables are delivered, washed and then screened to remove
extraneous matter such as stones. Depending upon the vegetable, the raw material might be
steam cooked and then cooled. The product is then peeled, typically using steam, and reinspected
before being cut to the required dimensions, e.g. sliced/diced/shredded, and
transported to the filling line. The chopped vegetables are then filled into containers. An
acidifying liquor is mixed with spices and transferred to the filling line to be used in the pickling
sauce. This liquor typically consists of acetic acid, malt vinegar, spirit vinegar, distilled malt
vinegar, liquid sugar and salt, depending upon the formulation. The acidifying liquor is
deposited into the container. The container is sealed and typically pasteurised before cooling
and packaging.
2.2.3.12 Vegetable drying
Vegetable drying uses raw materials such as potatoes, tomatoes, mushrooms and onions. The
basic process is the same as in fruit processing, i.e. sorting, grading, washing, drying and
packing. Many vegetables can be sun dried at source. Mechanical methods can also be used.
2.2.4 Vegetable oils and fats
Oils and fats occur naturally in a wide range of sources, although only around 22 vegetable oils
are processed on a commercial scale around the world. These are summarised as:
• production of oils from oilseeds, i.e. sunflower seed, soya bean, rapeseed, safflower seed,
mustard seed, cotton seed and ground nuts
• production of oils from fruit pulp, e.g. olives
• production of animal fats
• production of fish-oils.
Oils produced in the largest quantities come from soya beans, ground nuts, olives, sunflower
seeds, safflower seeds, cotton seeds, mustard seeds and rapeseeds; the latter is also known as
colza oil. Mediterranean countries produce 95 % of the total world olive oil production
estimated to be 2.4 million tonnes per year. Animal fats for human consumption are generally
produced by a process known as fat melting and by fish-oil production. Animal fat and fish-oil
production is within the scope of the “Slaughterhouses and animal by-products BREF” [181,
EC, 2003].
RHC/EIPPCB/FDM_BREF_FINAL January 2006 75