Process and system for sorting and pitting fruit

Apparatus for sorting and pitting fruit matter comprising fruit flesh and pits to dislodge pits from said fruit flesh and to extract fruit flesh from said fruit matter in a form substantially free of pits, said apparatus comprising:

• a laser-based sorting unit that differentiates fruit flesh from pits by differences in light scattering;
• a diode-based sorting unit that differentiates fruit flesh from pits by differences in light reflectance;
• fluid jet means for producing a fluid jet of sufficient force to dislodge pits adhering to fruit flesh;
• and
• conveying means for conveying fruit matter first through one of said sorting units, then through said fluid jet means, and then through said diode-based sorting means.

A process for sorting fruit matter comprising fruit flesh and pits to extract fruit flesh from said fruit matter in a form substantially free of pits, said process comprising:

• passing a feed stream of said fruit matter through a laser-based sorting unit that differentiates fruit flesh from pits by differences in light scattering and that ejects pits from said feed stream into a first reject stream and thereby converts said feed stream to a first fruit-flesh-rich stream;
• contacting said first reject stream with a fluid jet of sufficient force to dislodge pits from fruit flesh to which said pits are adhering and to thereby produce an intermediate stream;
• passing said intermediate stream through a diode-based sorting unit that differentiates said fruit flesh from said pits by differences in light reflectance and that ejects fruit flesh from said intermediate stream into a second fruit-flesh-rich stream;
• and
• recovering, as product, fruit flesh from said first fruit-flesh-rich stream and fruit flesh from said second fruit-flesh-rich stream.