A process for extracting at room temperature juice or puree from food pulps of fruit and vegetables, the process comprising the steps of:
- providing food pulps having a predetermined consistency;
- providing an input parameter relative to the consistency of the food pulps;
- providing a machine having:
- a softening section of the food pulps having at least a first stator and a first rotor, said first rotor having a first axis and arranged to rotate at a first speed driven by a first rotor drive means comprising a first shaft on which the first rotor is mounted and a first motor operating the first shaft, said softening section producing a softened product;
- an extraction section arranged downstream of the softening section and having at least a second stator and a second rotor, the second rotor having a second axis and arranged to rotate at a second speed driven by a second rotor drive means comprising a second shaft on which the second rotor is mounted and a second motor operating the second shaft, the first and the second speed being independent from each other;
- wherein the outlet of the softening section and the inlet of the extraction section are connected by a connection duct;
- wherein the connection duct is provided with an inclined surface at the end portion close to the extraction section which generates an axial component of the softened product entering the extraction section in order to assist the feeding even in case of solid or viscous softened product;
- wherein the machine furthermore is provided with a speed adjusting means operatively connected to the first rotor drive means and to the second rotor drive means, the speed adjusting means comprising a processor arranged to receive the input parameter related to the consistency of the product;
- and
- wherein the following steps are also provided:
- entering in the processor the input parameter which is related to the consistency of the food pulps;
- computing by the processor a ratio between the first and the second speed responsive to the input parameter and therefore to the consistency of the food pulps;
- entering in the softening section the food pulps;
- actuating the first and the second rotor drive means by the speed adjusting means responsive to the ratio between the first and second speed, the actuating step causing a rotation of the first shaft independent from the rotation of the second shaft;
- softening the food pulps by the first rotor rotating at the first speed in the softening section, and conveying all the softened food pulps in the extraction section through an outlet;
- discharging the softened product tangentially from the softening section through the outlet;
- feeding by the inclined connection duct the softened product downwards from the softening section to the inlet of the extraction section, the feeding of the softened product being carried out axially to the extraction section;
- extracting juice or puree from the softened food pulps by the second rotor rotating at the second speed in the extraction section and separating extracted juice or puree from waste material.