Food & Beverage Processing Solutions
Rotho peristaltic pumps gently transfer delicate food products - from chocolate with whole nuts to wine must to fruit pulps - preserving texture, flavor, and quality throughout the process.
Food Processing Challenges
Food and beverage production demands pumps that handle products gently while meeting strict hygiene requirements. Shear-sensitive ingredients, products with whole pieces, and viscous materials are easily damaged by aggressive pumping action - affecting taste, appearance, and marketability.
- Shear Sensitivity: Many food products are damaged by high-shear pumping action
- Whole Pieces: Products containing nuts, fruit pieces, or chunks require gentle handling
- High Viscosity: Chocolate, sauces, and pastes can exceed 100,000 centipoise
- Hygiene Requirements: Food contact surfaces must be easily cleaned and sanitized
- Product Integrity: Flavor, texture, and appearance must be preserved
Why Rotho for Food & Beverage
Purpose-built features that solve food processing challenges
Gentle Rolling Action
The unique rolling compression action transfers products without degradation. FABBRI SPA successfully pumps chocolate cream with whole hazelnuts at 10,000 cps - the nuts arrive intact.
- No product shearing
- Preserves whole pieces
- Maintains texture
- Protects emulsions
Handles Extreme Viscosity
Transfer products with viscosities over 100,000 centipoise - chocolate, peanut butter, fruit pastes, and thick sauces. Self-priming operation eliminates cavitation issues.
- 100,000+ cps capability
- Self-priming
- No cavitation
- Consistent flow
Food-Grade Materials
The product only contacts the hose interior - no mechanical seals or glands to contaminate your product.
- Single contact surface
Reversible Flow
Easily reverse flow direction for line clearing and product recovery. Minimize waste and simplify cleaning procedures between batches and product changeovers.
- Bidirectional pumping
- Line clearing
- Product recovery
- Easy changeover
Food & Beverage Case Studies
Real-world results from food processing operations
FABBRI SPA
ItalyWine Production
Multiple WineriesFruit Processing
Various FacilitiesSauce Production
Food ManufacturersRecommended Pumps for Food & Beverage
Select the right pump size for your food processing application
S5
Max 14.3 GPH
Precision ingredient dosing and flavoring
View Specifications →S10
Max 54.9 GPH
Small batch processing and filling
View Specifications →
M34
Max 1,297 GPH
Sauce, puree, and viscous product transfer
View Specifications →
M55
Max 4,871 GPH
High-volume wine must and beverage processing
View Specifications →FDA Compliance & Food Safety
Built for the strictest sanitary standards in food grade peristaltic pump applications
Meeting FDA and food safety regulations is non-negotiable in food processing. Rotho peristaltic pumps are inherently sanitary because the pumped product only ever contacts the interior of the hose element. There are no mechanical seals, valve seats, or impeller cavities where bacteria can harbor and multiply between production runs. This single-contact-surface design eliminates the contamination risks that plague conventional sanitary pumps.
Our food grade hose materials include Natural Rubber (NR), Nitrile (NBR), Silicone, and EPDM - each selected for compatibility with specific food products and cleaning chemicals. Silicone hoses meet FDA 21 CFR 177.2600 requirements for repeated food contact at elevated temperatures, making them the preferred choice for dairy, confectionery, and beverage applications.
Cleaning is straightforward: simply flush the hose with your CIP (Clean-in-Place) solution. Because there are no disassembly steps, no gaskets to remove, and no dead legs where product can accumulate, CIP cycles are faster and more effective than with conventional pumps. The reversible flow capability allows you to back-flush the line for thorough cleaning between product changeovers.
The gentle rolling compression action of a peristaltic pump preserves product integrity throughout the transfer process. Shear-sensitive emulsions remain stable, live cultures in yogurt and fermented products stay viable, and whole fruit pieces, nuts, and vegetable chunks pass through undamaged. This means higher product quality and less waste from damaged goods.
What We Pump
Food grade peristaltic pumps handle the widest range of food and beverage products
Chocolate & Confectionery
Transfer molten chocolate, praline fillings, and confectionery creams at viscosities exceeding 50,000 cps. Temperature-sensitive products maintain their temper through the gentle pumping action - no hot spots or shear heating that disrupts crystal structure.
Yogurt & Dairy
Pump yogurt with fruit pieces, cream, cultured products, and cheese curds without breaking down the delicate matrix. Live bacterial cultures survive the transfer process intact, preserving probiotic counts and product quality through the filling line.
Wine Must & Juice
Gently transfer grape must with skins and seeds during harvest, move juice concentrates, and handle lees without introducing oxygen. The sealed hose path minimizes oxidation compared to open-impeller centrifugal pumps commonly used in wineries.
Sauces & Condiments
Handle chunky salsas, thick barbecue sauces, ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise at viscosities from 5,000 to over 80,000 cps. Vegetable pieces and particulates pass through the full hose bore without damage or blockage.
Fruit Pulps & Purees
Transfer strawberry puree with seeds, mango pulp, apple sauce, and tomato paste while preserving the natural texture. Seeds and small particles flow freely through the hose without clogging valves or wearing impellers.
Yeast & Fermentation
Move live yeast slurries, sourdough starters, and fermentation products without killing organisms through shear damage. The low-shear pumping action keeps cell walls intact, maintaining viability for downstream processes.
Beer & Spirits
Transfer beer, wine, spirits, and fermented beverages gently to avoid foaming, oxidation, and flavor degradation. The sealed pumping path keeps dissolved CO2 in solution and prevents unwanted aeration during packaging operations.
Meat Processing
Pump viscous meat slurries, marinades, brines, and emulsified products in sausage and processed meat production. The full-bore hose passage handles fibrous materials without the blockages common in lobe and gear pumps.
Hose Material Selection for Food
Choose the right food grade hose for your specific application
| Hose Material | Best For | Key Properties |
|---|---|---|
| NR (Natural Rubber) | General food transfer, fruit pulps, sauces | Excellent abrasion resistance, good flexibility, wide temperature range |
| NBR (Nitrile) | Oils, fats, chocolate, confectionery | Oil and fat resistant, maintains integrity with lipid-rich products |
| Silicone | High-temperature dairy, hot fillings, sterilized products | FDA 21 CFR compliant, temperature range up to 200°C, odorless and tasteless |
| EPDM | Dairy, beverages, CIP chemical compatibility | Excellent resistance to cleaning chemicals, hot water, and steam sterilization |
Not sure which hose material is right for your food product? Our engineering team can recommend the optimal material based on your specific product, temperature, and cleaning requirements. View our complete hose guide or contact us for a recommendation.
Real-World Food Processing Applications
Proven performance across the food and beverage industry
Confectionery Production
At FABBRI SPA in Italy, Rotho pumps transfer chocolate cream filled with whole hazelnuts at 10,000 centipoise viscosity. The gentle rolling action delivers every hazelnut intact to the filling station, maintaining the premium quality that consumers expect. This same principle applies across confectionery operations - from praline filling lines to candy coating systems where product appearance is critical.
Wine & Beverage Production
During harvest season, wineries rely on Rotho M-Series pumps for must transfer, moving crushed grapes with skins and seeds from the press to fermentation tanks. The gentle action minimizes extraction of harsh tannins from seeds while preserving the delicate fruit character. After fermentation, the same pumps handle lees transfer and racking operations with precision. Ragazzini pumps have been trusted in Italian and global wine production for decades.
Dairy & Cultured Products
Dairy processors use Rotho pumps to transfer yogurt with fruit pieces from blending tanks to filling machines. The low-shear action preserves the yogurt's gel structure and keeps fruit pieces whole, resulting in a premium product with consistent texture. For cream and cultured butter production, the gentle pumping action avoids over-working the fat globules.
Industrial Ceramics Crossover
While not a food application, Ragazzini pumps at Cerdomus in Italy demonstrate the same gentle handling principle - transferring ceramic glazes with suspended particles without degradation. This proven particle-handling capability translates directly to food applications involving seeds, nuts, fruit pieces, and other particulates.
Need a Food Processing Solution?
Our engineering team specializes in gentle pumping solutions for delicate food and beverage products.
Request a Quote Call (619) 298-3800