Moisture Control in Almond Processing

“The Almond is an edible nut which can be eaten whole or processed for inclusion in other food products

- 

The United States is the largest producer of almonds in the world, with production being centred in the California area where the climate is conducive to its successful growth. Other top producing countries include Australia and the Mediterranean area of Europe, with a total world production of nearly 3 million tonnes per year. Almond trees are harvested from late summer, which is when the nuts are sent for processing, typically arriving hulled and ready for further treatment.

Almond Processing

Almonds are a food product so therefore require a high degree of quality control to ensure that the nuts are suitable for human consumption. Continuous quality control checks take place throughout various stages of production, and an important part of these checks is to ensure that the moisture content of the almonds is at the correct level for the relevant part of the process.

Natural almonds arrive at the processing plant with an existing moisture content of approximately 4%. They are initially passed through a system which removes any unwanted material before being pasteurised for about 8 hours using steam at approximately 93°C to kill any micro-organisms. The moisture level is then checked to ensure that the nuts are at the correct moisture percentage before being passed forward for the next part of the process.

If the almonds are going to be sold whole as a “raw” product, they are moved through to another part of the plant where they are checked for quality and then packaged.