About VOG Products
About VOG Products
Markets & Solutions
Markets & Solutions
Product Portfolio
Product Portfolio
Sustainability
Sustainability
How puree is produced
Puree is an increasingly important product at VOG Products. The reason is the high demand: International customers in the baby food and smoothies sector rely on puree, as our highest quality raw material without pesticide residues is continiously available and as we can offer high-tech processing and storage possibilities. Leading baby food manufacturers appreciate completely residue-free products, meaning that primarily organic products from members in South Tyrol and Trentino are used.
The quality of the raw material counts
Organic or conventionally grown - in any case, the delivered fruit must be rot-free and must not have any deep indentations. The size of the fruit is not important, however the ripeness and consistency are. Aside from apple puree, for which a well-matured Golden Delicious is best, VOG Products also produces pear, peach, apricot and kiwi puree. Therefore, a strict quality control takes place before processing. Under certain circumstances, the fruits still have to ripen at the factory.
The individual steps
Unlike solid pack apples, which are peeled before being heated, pureed fruits are first showered after the bulk boxes are emptied. After the high-pressure cleaning, a coarse sieving takes place, during which stems, peels and cores are sieved out. During the "hot break", the pulp is briefly heated to deactivate the enzymes and thus prevent discolouration of the puree, while at the same time preserving healthy ingredients and aroma. The subsequent fine straining is done with heat, depending on the customer's preference. Some products, for example for small children, have to be very finely strained, others less. Finally, the puree is pasteurised and filled into drums or cans or stored in tanks that are completely free of germs and from there transported directly to the customer by truck.
Apples, long considered a healthy fruit, hold a secret: they contain precious compounds called polyphenols, known for their antioxidant properties. But what happens to these compounds when apples are cooked? And what is the best cooking method to preserve the benefits of apples?
VOG Products is offering the food and drink industry fermented bases for producing cider and apple cider vinegar - high-quality and individually tailored to customers’ needs.
VOG Products recently added a very special product to its assortment: “apple compote with pieces”, in which the creamy texture of the apple mousse meets apple chunks, resulting in an unforgettable flavour. High-quality steamed apple chunks are combined with apple mousse to create a “ready-to-use” product. This opens up a wide range of uses and applications for customers.
The grand opening of the bee meadow on the Sonnenberg in Kortsch on May 28, 2024, marked another strong commitment by VOG Products to sustainability.
Four out of five of the organic apples processed by VOG Products come from the cultivation of around 600 Bioland farmers in South Tyrol.
Picture: ©Südtiroler Apfelkonsortium
The Kissabel® apple (variety R201) is known around the world for its fruit pulp, which can vary from pink to red. The juice is just as attractive as the apple, mainly because its unique taste and a characteristic red colour ranging from violet to ruby red.
South Tyrol has been the largest organic apple supplier in Europe for many years. That is why the quantities delivered to the fruit processor VOG Products have more than tripled in three years.
Hannes Egger is a mountaineer and "optimiser" in the company.
Daniel Franco and the balancing act between machine and man.
Ervis Naci from Albania has made the step from worker to head of department.
Each year, VOG Products processes around 350,000 tonnes of apples into juice, puree and concentrate. Water is indispensable in the production process: it serves as cooling and transport water. The company not only uses it carefully, but also several times over.
Jessica Pfeifer solves many seemingly unsolvable problems in the Sales Back Office.
