Citrus pulp and peel drying handles the largest by-product of orange, lemon, lime and kinnow juice extraction. The peel is usually limed and pressed before drying to break its water-holding pectin, then dried into feed pellets or pectin-grade peel. Juice plants dry it because the wet peel is heavy, acidic and quick to rot.
To dry citrus pulp & peel, GEM recommends the Rotary Dryer and Band Dryer (Beltotherm). Typical moisture is 65–80% in the feed and 10–12% after drying. Mesh Belt Dryer is used when the feed or site calls for it. Every project starts with a pilot trial on your own sample.
Rotary drum dryers handle the large, coarse volumes of limed and pressed feed-grade citrus pulp. A Beltotherm band dryer is selected for pectin peel, where lower temperatures matter; a mesh belt dryer suits smaller juice plants with waste heat available.
| Typical feed moisture | 65–80% |
| Typical target moisture | 10–12% |
| Recommended dryer | Rotary Dryer, Band Dryer (Beltotherm) |
| Alternatives | Mesh Belt Dryer |
| Application area | Pomace, Pulp & By-products |
| Industries | Food & Beverage, Animal Feed, Breweries & Distilleries |
Wet citrus peel can make up around half the weight of fruit processed, so drying turns a costly disposal stream into a traded feed commodity. Pectin-grade peel sells at a higher value where buyers are reachable.
Plants searching for a citrus pulp dryer or comparing a orange peel drying machine usually need three answers: which dryer fits, what it costs to run, and how fast it pays back. For Citrus Pulp & Peel, we start from your throughput, current moisture (typically 65–80%) and the target (10–12%), trial a sample on the Rotary Dryer, and return a sized recommendation with a budget quotation for your food and animal feed operation.
Compare all 11 materials in Fruit & Vegetable Pomace and Food Waste or browse the wider Pomace, Pulp & By-products family.
We trial your material in our pilot facility before any equipment decision, then size the dryer from real data.
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