On-site Planning
Installation & Commissioning
Automated & Energy Efficient
Client Name: K***U Agricultural Cooperative
Country: Republic of Turkey
Region: Manisa Province – Aegean Region, the world's most famous seedless raisin producer, accounting for over 80% of Turkey's raisin exports
Core Products: Seedless raisins (naturally sun-dried), sulphur-free golden raisins, organic raisins, grape powder, grape seed extract raw material
Equipment Configuration: Hadof customized multi-layer mesh belt hot air drying line (with integrated heat pump dehumidification and color protection modules)
Commissioning Date: Q3 2021
Turkey is the world's largest producer and exporter of raisins. The Aegean coastal region of Manisa Province has centuries of grape growing history and an ideal climate – hot, dry summers with large temperature swings, perfect for growing seedless grapes and natural sun-drying. K***U Cooperative represents over 300 member farmers, producing over 200,000 tons of table and wine grapes annually. However, facing increasingly stringent international food safety and quality requirements, the limitations of traditional sun-drying became starkly apparent.
"Weather-Dependent" Drying Risks: Despite ample sunshine, the August-September harvest can see sudden rain and humid sea breezes from the Aegean, causing grapes to mold and rot during drying. Estimates show traditional ground drying causes 10%-15% losses annually, reaching up to 30% in bad years.
Hygiene Risks & Export Barriers: Open-air drying inevitably exposes grapes to dust, insects, and birds. EU and US markets have tightened limits on impurities and mycotoxins in raisins. Traditional sun-dried products are sometimes rejected due to high sand content or occasional mycotoxin detection.
Inability to Meet Premium Market Demand: markets have strong demand for "amber" or "golden" seedless raisins (produced without sulphur), which command prices over 40% higher than traditional dark raisins. Sun-drying only produces dark raisins with inconsistent color.
Byproduct Waste: Grape seeds (rich in proanthocyanidins) and skins from processing are mostly discarded, failing to extract high-value components.
The client's needs were clear: retain the traditional taste and high sugar content of Turkish raisins, meet EU hygiene standards, and gain the capability to produce high-value "golden raisins."
After comparing US and Australian equipment, K***U Cooperative ultimately chose our company. Our advantage lay in developing a specialized clean drying and color protection process for thin-skinned, high-sugar, easily-browned seedless grapes.
Solution: Three Custom Designs for Aegean Grape Characteristics
1. "Heat Pump Dehumidification + Color Protection Pre-treatment" Clean Drying System
Addressing the weather dependence and poor hygiene of traditional drying, we used closed-loop heat pump dehumidification technology, completely reliance on weather.
Clean Enclosed Environment: The dryer interior uses fully welded 304 stainless steel. Air intakes feature G4 pre-filters + H10 medium filters, completely blocking dust and insects. Finished raisins meet EU import cleanliness standards with impurity levels below 0.1%.
Color Protection Pre-treatment: For premium golden raisins, a pre-treatment using natural olive oil and potassium carbonate solution (a modernization of traditional Turkish methods) replaces sulfites. Drying at 60°C-65°C low-temperature hot air yields uniformly, translucent, shiny raisins with no sulfur dioxide residues.
Intelligent Humidity Control: The heat pump precisely controls chamber humidity, preventing surface sugar crystallization (stickiness) and internal moisture that could cause mold.
2. Flexible Process for Different Products
For Traditional Dark Raisins (commodity): 65°C-70°C hot air drying with pulsed air tumbling shortens drying time to 24-30 hours (traditional sun-drying takes 10-15 days). Product has uniform color, plump flesh, and concentrated sugar.
For Golden Raisins (high-value product): 55°C-60°C low-temperature slow drying with color protection pre-treatment takes 36-40 hours. Product is translucent amber, soft, with a fresh aroma, ideal for premium baking and snacks.
For Grape Powder (functional food ingredient): Lower-grade raisins or grape pomace are dried at low temperature and ground into powder, retaining natural anthocyanins and dietary fiber for baking, powdered drinks, and health foods.
3. Comprehensive Energy Utilization
Pruned grape branches and pressed grape seed residue are used as biomass fuel to provide auxiliary energy for the heat pump system, reducing overall energy consumption by 50% compared to纯 electric heating.
A waste heat recovery system captures 70% of the heat from the exhaust air for reuse, further lowering operating costs.
Client Testimonial: "Golden Value" from Aegean Sun to European Supermarkets
After commissioning, K***U Cooperative's business expanded rapidly.
Capacity & Market Breakthrough
Throughput: Processes 50 tons of fresh grapes daily, completely weather constraints, operating stably over 300 days/year. On-time delivery improved from 70% to 99%.
High-End Market Access: The clean drying process helped secure EU BRC, IFS, and US FDA certifications. By 2024, golden raisin exports to Germany, the UK, and France grew 400%, with products entering the premium lines of discount supermarkets like Aldi and Lidl.
Significant Economic Benefits
Product Premium: Golden raisins sell for $3,500-$4,000/ton, 40%-50% more than traditional dark raisins. Grape powder sells for $2,000-$2,500/ton, turning waste into profit.
Return on Investment: Cooperative Chairman Mr. Demir calculated: "Relying on weather cost us at least 15% losses annually. Now, losses are under 2%, and we produce high-value golden raisins. Just the premium on products alone will recoup the entire equipment investment in two years."
Environmental & Social Responsibility
Zero Waste Goal: Comprehensive utilization of grape byproducts (seeds, skins, prunings) exceeds 90%, converted into grape powder, biomass energy, and extract.
Water & Energy Saving: Compared to traditional washing and drying, this process saves 80% water and 60% energy per ton of product, earning Turkey's Ministry of Agriculture "Green Production Model Enterprise" title.
"The Aegean sun and centuries of tradition give us the world's best grapes, but traditional drying is being phased out by international markets. Hadof's drying line showed us that true heritage means using modern technology to enhance ancestral wisdom, letting Turkey's golden raisins enter homes worldwide, clean and pure."
—— K***U Agricultural Cooperative, Chairman Mehmet Demir
