HG Molenaar & Co.

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HG Molenaar & Co. Molenaar is the supplier, agent and manufacturer of large-scale machinery for the food and beverage industries.

Keep your cans moving, even when labelling runs to a different schedule.Canned fruit and vegetable production often need...
13/10/2026

Keep your cans moving, even when labelling runs to a different schedule.

Canned fruit and vegetable production often needs a buffer between processing and final labelling. Brite-stacking provides one by palletizing processed, unlabelled cans for storage until they are ready for the next stage.

For producers managing seasonal volumes and multiple labels, the handling system needs careful consideration. Can formats, throughput, stack patterns and available floor space all influence the right solution.

MOLENAAR offers magnetic palletizing and depalletizing systems for brite-stack applications, alongside robotic solutions for steel food can stacking and de-stacking. Semi-automated and fully automated conventional options let you choose the approach that suits your operation.

Planning a canning-line upgrade? Talk to our team about your can formats, production rates and layout.

Has the coldest point in every can received enough heat to achieve the required process, without exposing the product to...
08/10/2026

Has the coldest point in every can received enough heat to achieve the required process, without exposing the product to more heat than necessary? That is one of the central challenges when sterilizing canned vegetables.

Many vegetables are low-acid foods. When a finished product has an equilibrium pH above 4.6 and is intended to remain shelf-stable, it generally requires a more intensive thermal process than pasteurization. This is typically achieved through retort sterilization. After filling and seaming, the cans undergo a validated heating and cooling cycle suited to the product formulation, can size, fill conditions, loading configuration and heat-transfer characteristics.

A dense vegetable product may transfer heat very differently from vegetables packed in brine or sauce. Retort technology and the process schedule therefore need to be considered together. Our retorts are designed for processing above 100°C, with low-acid foods typically treated between 110°C and 135°C. Precise control of time and temperature helps manufacturers achieve the required food-safety outcome while protecting product qualities such as colour, flavour and texture.

We also offer steam, water-spray and full-water-immersion retort technologies, supported by extensive engineering expertise in in-container thermal processing. The objective is to deliver a safe, validated and repeatable process throughout every load and from one production cycle to the next.

Explore MOLENAAR’s retort sterilization solutions: https://www.hgmolenaar.com/thermal-processing/thermal-processing-retorts/

Contact [email protected] to discuss your canned-vegetable application.

In 2025, South Africa exported approximately US$861.9 million in prepared and preserved fruit, vegetable and nut product...
06/10/2026

In 2025, South Africa exported approximately US$861.9 million in prepared and preserved fruit, vegetable and nut products. This strongly indicates the scale and international importance of the country’s value-added food-processing industry. Meeting that demand requires more than a collection of individual machines. A canning operation depends on each stage working as part of one coordinated production process.

MOLENAAR supplies and integrates equipment across the complete can-line journey for fruit and vegetable producers, including:

☑️ De-palletizing
☑️ Filling
☑️ Seaming
☑️ Thermal processing
☑️ Labelling
☑️ Inspection
☑️ End-of-line packaging
☑️ Brite stacking and palletizing

From introducing empty cans into the line and achieving controlled filling to creating a reliable seam, applying the required thermal process, and preparing the finished product for storage or distribution, every stage affects the next. Our engineering team considers the complete production requirement, helping manufacturers create dependable product flow, reduce unnecessary handling and build a line around their products, container formats and output objectives.
Whether you are planning a new canning line, expanding production or improving an existing operation, start with the complete process.

Explore our solutions here: https://www.hgmolenaar.com/solution-offerings/

Contact [email protected] to discuss your application.

Less than three weeks remain until PACK EXPO International 2026, where the MOLENAAR team will exhibit at Booth -7162.Vi...
30/09/2026

Less than three weeks remain until PACK EXPO International 2026, where the MOLENAAR team will exhibit at Booth -7162.

Visitors can discuss retort selection, processing media, static and agitated process modes, pressure control, basket configurations, automated loading and unloading, process recording, and future upgrade requirements.

Whether you are introducing a new shelf-stable product, moving into flexible pouches or looking to automate an existing retort operation, the right solution begins with understanding the complete application, not just selecting a machine.

Meet the MOLENAAR team and discover how our thermal-processing and materials-handling expertise can support a safe, repeatable and efficient production process.

📍 PACK EXPO International, Chicago
📅 18–21 October 2026
📌 Booth -7162

Register to attend: https://pei26.nvytes.co/pei2026landing/91T98.html

As a company, we are proud to be part of such a vibrant and diverse nation. Heritage Day reminds us of the richness of o...
24/09/2026

As a company, we are proud to be part of such a vibrant and diverse nation. Heritage Day reminds us of the richness of our cultures, the strength in our differences and the unity that binds us together. We believe that diversity fuels innovation and growth - both in our communities and in the industries we serve. Let’s honour our roots and embrace the shared future we are building together. Happy Heritage Day South Africa!

Please take note that Molenaar will be closed on Friday, 25 September.

A retort basket should never simply disappear into the process. For food producers, traceability needs to extend beyond ...
22/09/2026

A retort basket should never simply disappear into the process. For food producers, traceability needs to extend beyond the retort cycle itself. Knowing which basket was loaded, where it is in the process and when it reaches unloading creates a more connected quality-control record.

MOLENAAR’s basket-tracking systems follow baskets from loading into the retort through to unloading, retaining relevant quality-control information along the way. Process-recording options can also provide paperless data that may be automatically stored on a secure network location and/or exported via USB.

This traceability can be combined with different levels of automation. A semi-automatic system can mechanise repetitive basket-loading tasks while retaining manual retort loading. Fully automated solutions can incorporate mechanised doors, automatic shuttles, basket loading and unloading.

The operation can also be designed with future expansion in mind. A producer may begin with semi-automatic handling and prepare the system for further automation as production requirements grow.

The result is not simply less manual handling. It is a more controlled journey from loading to processing and unloading - with better visibility at every stage.

Explore MOLENAAR’s retort-automation solutions:
https://www.hgmolenaar.com/materials-handling/retort-automation/

17/09/2026

Should a sauce pouch remain still in the retort, or should it move? The answer depends on what is happening inside the pack.

Thick, viscous sauces often heat mainly through conduction. In these applications, agitation may offer limited heat-transfer benefit, so static processing may be appropriate.

Products that heat through convection can respond differently. Gentle oscillation encourages movement inside the package and may improve heat-transfer rates. Flat-lying formats such as pouches and trays can benefit in particular when oscillation suits the product and is validated.

Improved heat transfer may support shorter processing times, helping manufacturers protect product quality while using energy more efficiently. However, no single setting works for every sauce or pouch.

Consider product formulation, viscosity, package format, fill volume, and the required thermal process together. MOLENAAR offers static, oscillating and full-rotation processing options, as well as multi-mode systems that give producers greater flexibility across products and packaging formats.

Find out more here: https://www.hgmolenaar.com/thermal-processing/thermal-processing-retorts/

When you sterilize sauce in a flexible pouch, heat is only one part of the equation. Time, temperature and pressure must...
15/09/2026

When you sterilize sauce in a flexible pouch, heat is only one part of the equation. Time, temperature and pressure must work together to achieve the required thermal process while protecting the pouch and its seals.

As the product heats and cools, conditions inside the pack change. A carefully controlled pressure profile helps protect packaging that may be susceptible to damage during processing.

MOLENAAR’s water-spray retorts use dynamic overpressure control, continuously adjusting the overpressure during the cycle. Full-water-immersion processing also provides an effective heat-transfer medium and carefully controlled pressure conditions for flexible packaging.

The objective is to achieve a repeatable process that supports food safety, package integrity and product quality from one batch to the next. A safe sauce in a damaged pouch is not a successful result.

Explore MOLENAAR’s retort sterilization solutions:
https://www.hgmolenaar.com/thermal-processing/thermal-processing-retorts/

Contact us at [email protected] to discuss your product and packaging requirements.

As a certified authorised FANUC System Integrator, MOLENAAR combines FANUC robotic technology with its own applications ...
14/09/2026

As a certified authorised FANUC System Integrator, MOLENAAR combines FANUC robotic technology with its own applications engineering and line-automation expertise to develop handling systems for demanding food-processing environments, including retort basket loading and unloading.

The robot is only one part of the solution. Effective retort automation must consider the package format, basket design, stacking pattern, required throughput, gripping method, conveyor layout, and product movement through the complete thermal process. MOLENAAR configures each system around the application, with options that can include integrated conveyors, safety fencing, access control, light curtains, vision inspection and robotic basket handling.

For sauce manufacturers using flexible pouches, well-designed automation can reduce repetitive manual handling, improve process consistency and help minimise pouch damage as products move into and out of the retort operation. This carefully engineered handling process is built around your product and production environment.

Explore MOLENAAR’s robotics and retort-automation capabilities: https://www.hgmolenaar.com/materials-handling/robotics/

Contact us at [email protected] to discuss your application.

08/09/2026

Producing shelf-stable sauces in flexible pouches is not simply a matter of applying heat. The thermal process must achieve the required level of food safety while carefully controlling time, temperature and pressure to protect the pouch and preserve the sauce’s flavour, colour and texture.

Uniform temperature distribution throughout the retort and every product stack is critical to achieving consistent, repeatable product quality. MOLENAAR has developed trays specifically for pouches that promote evenly distributed water circulation throughout the entire stack, ensuring every pouch is exposed to the same thermal conditions. The result is highly uniform heat transfer, reliable process repeatability and consistent high product quality from batch to batch.

MOLENAAR combines multi-mode retort processing with integrated basket handling, automated doors and shuttle systems, basket tracking, recipe management and process recording. Every solution is engineered around the product, pouch format, basket configuration, production requirements and validated thermal process.

By connecting sterilisation and material handling, producers can create a more controlled, traceable operation while reducing repetitive manual work, unnecessary product handling, and the risk of package damage. Achieving shelf stability is only part of the job. Doing it consistently, efficiently and without compromising the product is what makes the difference.

In 2023, Liberty Packing Company in the US, the powerhouse behind Paradiso Tomato Products, expanded its foodservice production line. It integrated cutting-edge robotics, fully automated systems, and industry-first retorts from MOLENAAR, which helped revolutionise its #10 flexible pouch production process.

Address

Paarl
7646

Opening Hours

Monday 08:00 - 17:00
Tuesday 09:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 09:00 - 17:00
Thursday 09:00 - 17:00
Friday 09:00 - 17:00

Telephone

+27218682210

Website

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