Executive Summary
A leading European specialty food ingredient manufacturer required a fully automated, GMP-compliant Hazelnut Protein Isolate (HPI) Manufacturing Plant capable of producing premium Hazelnut Protein Isolate (88–92% Protein), Hazelnut Protein Concentrate, Cold-Pressed Hazelnut Oil, Defatted Hazelnut Flour, and Hazelnut Dietary Fiber for sports nutrition, plant-based beverages, premium bakery products, confectionery, nutraceuticals, and pharmaceutical applications.
The customer required a turnkey manufacturing facility capable of maximizing protein recovery from cold-defatted hazelnut meal, preserving the nutritional quality and aroma of hazelnut oil, minimizing oxidation, reducing utility consumption, and consistently producing export-quality ingredients complying with GMP, WHO-GMP, HACCP, ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, BRCGS, USFDA, and international food safety standards.
MECH O TECH LLP successfully designed, engineered, manufactured, supplied, installed, and commissioned a 100 TPD Hazelnut Protein Manufacturing Plant integrating advanced nut cleaning, shell separation, kernel grading, cold pressing, protein extraction, membrane filtration, vacuum concentration, spray drying, PLC-SCADA automation, and fully automated CIP systems.
The facility consistently produces premium hazelnut protein ingredients with excellent functionality, pleasant flavor, superior emulsification properties, and exceptional international market acceptance.
Customer Background
The customer supplies hazelnut-derived ingredients to Plant-Based Beverage Manufacturers, Sports Nutrition Companies, Premium Bakery Manufacturers, Chocolate & Confectionery Companies, Nutraceutical Manufacturers, Health Supplement Producers, Pharmaceutical Companies, and International Ingredient Exporters. Growing demand for premium nut-based proteins and clean-label ingredients encouraged investment in a state-of-the-art hazelnut protein manufacturing facility.
Customer Challenges
Before modernization, the customer experienced:
- Low protein recovery
- High residual oil in meal
- Oxidation during processing
- Variable powder quality
- High operating costs
- Limited production capacity
- Inconsistent export quality
- Poor by-product utilization
- High energy consumption
Project Objectives
MECH O TECH LLP engineered a turnkey solution capable of:
- Processing 100 MT/day of Hazelnut Kernels
- Producing premium Hazelnut Protein Isolate
- Recovering Cold-Pressed Hazelnut Oil
- Manufacturing Defatted Hazelnut Flour
- Producing Hazelnut Dietary Fiber
- Maximizing raw material utilization
- Reducing production costs
- Supporting expansion up to 500 TPD
Raw Material
- Botanical Name
- Corylus avellana
- Common Name
- Hazelnut
- Raw Materials Used
- Hazelnut Kernels, Cold-Pressed Hazelnut Cake, Defatted Hazelnut Meal
- Major Nutritional Components
- Plant Protein, Monounsaturated Fatty Acids, Dietary Fiber, Vitamin E, Essential Amino Acids, Minerals, Natural Antioxidants
- Daily Processing Capacity
- 100,000 kg/day
Finished Product
Available Options
Applications
- Plant-Based Milk
- Sports Nutrition
- Functional Foods
- Protein Powders
- Premium Bakery Products
- Chocolate & Confectionery
- Nutritional Beverages
- Clinical Nutrition
- Nutraceuticals
- Pharmaceutical Formulations
Process Flow
Process Description
Raw Material Preparation
Premium hazelnut kernels are cleaned, graded, sorted, and inspected before cold pressing. The protein-rich defatted meal is finely milled to improve extraction efficiency.
Cold Oil Recovery
Low-temperature mechanical pressing preserves the natural aroma, flavor, and nutritional quality of hazelnut oil.
Advantages include:
- Premium edible oil recovery
- Low oxidation
- Excellent oil quality
- Higher protein concentration
- Better process profitability
Protein Extraction
Protein extraction is optimized to maximize yield while preserving functional characteristics.
Benefits include:
- High protein recovery
- Excellent emulsification
- Superior solubility
- Pleasant nutty flavor
- Consistent batch quality
Membrane Filtration
Advanced ultrafiltration and diafiltration systems remove:
- Soluble carbohydrates
- Residual oil
- Minerals
- Low molecular weight compounds
Benefits include:
- Protein purity up to 92%
- Lower water consumption
- Improved consistency
- Enhanced process efficiency
Vacuum Concentration & Spray Drying
The purified protein slurry is vacuum concentrated and spray dried into a premium powder featuring:
- Excellent flowability
- Low moisture
- Pleasant natural aroma
- Long shelf life
- Excellent dispersibility
Quality Standardization
Each production batch undergoes testing for:
- Protein Content
- Moisture
- Residual Oil
- Solubility
- Particle Size
- Bulk Density
- Heavy Metals
- Microbial Load
- Amino Acid Profile
- Functional Properties
Major Equipment Supplied
- Raw Material Cleaning & Grading System
- Shell Separation System
- Kernel Sorting Line
- Cold Oil Press
- Fine Grinding System
- Slurry Preparation Tanks
- Protein Extraction Reactors
- Decanter Centrifuges
- Ultrafiltration & Diafiltration Systems
- Vacuum Concentrator
- Homogenizer
- HTST Pasteurizer
- Spray Dryer
- Fluid Bed Cooler
- Vibratory Sifter
- Automatic Packing Machine
- PLC-SCADA Automation System
- MCC & Instrumentation
- Fully Automatic CIP System
Automation Features
The intelligent PLC-SCADA platform provides:
- Automatic recipe management
- Protein yield monitoring
- Temperature & pH control
- Membrane performance monitoring
- Batch traceability
- Utility monitoring
- Alarm management
- Predictive maintenance
- Production analytics
- Industry 4.0 integration
GMP & Safety Features
- SS 316L product-contact surfaces
- Hygienic sanitary piping
- Fully enclosed processing systems
- Automatic CIP & SIP systems
- Dust-controlled powder handling
- Validation-ready engineering
- GMP-compliant layout
- HACCP-compliant design
- Cross-contamination prevention
Plant Utilities
- Steam Boiler
- RO Water Plant
- Chilled Water System
- Cooling Tower
- Air Compressor
- Vacuum System
- Electrical Power
- Instrument Air
- Nitrogen Blanketing System (Optional)
Sustainability Features
- Complete utilization of hazelnut kernels
- Recovery of premium edible hazelnut oil
- Water recycling systems
- Heat recovery from spray drying
- Energy-efficient membrane technology
- Low wastewater generation
- Reduced carbon footprint
- Circular manufacturing process
Customer Benefits
Following successful commissioning, the customer achieved:
- Higher protein recovery
- Premium export-quality hazelnut protein
- Additional revenue from hazelnut oil and flour
- Lower operating costs
- Reduced utility consumption
- Increased production capacity
- Consistent international product quality
- Faster return on investment
- Improved profitability
- Enhanced global competitiveness
Plants Used In This Project
Why Mech O Tech LLP?
MECH O TECH LLP is a globally recognized manufacturer of turnkey protein processing plants, edible oil processing systems, nutraceutical manufacturing facilities, botanical extraction plants, pharmaceutical process equipment, and advanced food ingredient manufacturing systems. With over 30 years of engineering excellence, we provide innovative processing technologies, intelligent PLC-SCADA automation, hygienic GMP engineering, and complete EPC solutions for the global food processing industry.
Conclusion
The Hazelnut Protein Isolate Manufacturing Plant from MECH O TECH LLP provides a complete turnkey solution for producing premium hazelnut protein ingredients, cold-pressed hazelnut oil, defatted hazelnut flour, and dietary fiber. By integrating advanced extraction technology, membrane filtration, intelligent automation, and GMP-compliant engineering, the facility delivers exceptional product quality, maximum raw material utilization, reduced operating costs, and world-class manufacturing performance.
Key Technical Highlights
- Raw Material
- Corylus avellana (Hazelnut)
- Plant Capacity
- 5–500 TPD (Customizable)
- Finished Products
- Hazelnut Protein Isolate, Hazelnut Protein Concentrate, Cold-Pressed Hazelnut Oil, Defatted Hazelnut Flour, Hazelnut Dietary Fiber
- Technology
- Cold Pressing + Protein Extraction + Membrane Filtration + Vacuum Concentration + Spray Drying
- Automation
- PLC-SCADA with Industry 4.0 Integration
- Construction Material
- SS 304 / SS 316L
- Protein Purity
- Up to 92%
- Compliance
- GMP, WHO-GMP, HACCP, ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, BRCGS, USFDA-ready, EU-GMP-ready, CE-compliant equipment
- Applications
- Plant-Based Dairy, Sports Nutrition, Functional Foods, Bakery, Confectionery, Nutraceuticals, Pharmaceutical Ingredients
Why Global Manufacturers Choose MECH O TECH LLP
- 30+ years of engineering excellence in plant protein processing and food engineering
- Complete turnkey EPC solutions from 500 kg/day pilot plants to 500 TPD industrial facilities
- Advanced membrane filtration and purification technologies for premium protein production
- Intelligent PLC-SCADA automation with complete production traceability and Industry 4.0 connectivity
- GMP-compliant hygienic engineering with fully automated CIP/SIP systems
- Energy-efficient processing with water recycling, heat recovery, and maximum by-product utilization
- Complete installation, commissioning, validation, operator training, preventive maintenance, spare parts supply, and lifetime technical support
- Proven expertise in protein processing, botanical extraction, nutraceutical manufacturing, pharmaceutical process equipment, edible oil processing, essential oil plants, oleoresin plants, and advanced food ingredient manufacturing systems
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