Hummus Filling Machine for Dearborn Food Producers
Fill, seal and lid hummus, toum, labneh and baba ganoush cups on one compact rotary machine. The SDH-R runs up to 30 cups per minute at ±0.5% fill accuracy, with optional nitrogen MAP for 30–45+ day refrigerated shelf life.
The SDH-R from Hummus Pack is a hummus filling machine Dearborn producers can run in a compact production room. It denests pre-formed cups, fills 50–500 g with a servo-driven volumetric piston at ±0.5% accuracy, heat-seals a film membrane and can add nitrogen MAP and snap-on lids in one pass. It runs up to 30 cups per minute (18–25 in production), occupies 44 × 52 in and starts from $45,000 USD.
- Output
- Up to 30 cups/min (18–25 real-world)
- Fill range
- 50–500 g (approx. 2–17 oz), ±0.5% accuracy
- Standard cups
- 4, 8, 10, 16 oz; custom 2–32 oz
- Shelf life with MAP
- ~7–10 days extended to 30–45+ days (product-dependent)
- Lead time
- 8–12 weeks from order confirmation
- Warranty
- 12 months
- Price
- From $45,000 USD (single filler)
A Hummus Filling Machine Dearborn Producers Can Grow Into
If you make hummus, toum, labneh or baba ganoush in Dearborn and hand-filled deli tubs can no longer keep pace with orders, cup filling is usually the first step worth automating. The SDH-R is a hummus filling machine Dearborn producers can run in a compact production room: it denests pre-formed cups, fills them with a servo-driven volumetric piston, heat-seals a film membrane and can add nitrogen and a snap-on lid, all in one pass. We design and build it in Calgary, Alberta, and ship it to food plants across Michigan and the Midwest.
In the 2020 census, about 54.5% of Dearborn's 109,976 residents reported Middle Eastern or North African (MENA) ancestry, led by Lebanese and then Yemeni roots, and Wayne County had the highest MENA share of any US county at 7.8%. The City of Dearborn describes Warren Avenue in East Dearborn, between Greenfield and Wyoming, as a hub of Arab American-owned bakeries, restaurants, grocery stores, butcher shops and nut roasters, and the Dix-Vernor corridor in the South End is home to a large Yemeni American community.
When a recipe that sells well over the counter moves toward grocery or wholesale accounts, manual filling is typically where production stalls. Below, we explain how the SDH-R rotary cup filling and sealing machine handles mezze products, what Michigan licensing involves, and how delivery and support work from Canada.
How the SDH-R Works as a Cup Filling Machine for Dearborn Plants
The SDH-R is a fully automatic rotary machine built around an indexing turret. Each cup moves through these stations in sequence:
- Cup loading: a pneumatic denester places pre-formed round, square or rectangular cups in the turret.
- Base fill: the servo-driven volumetric piston doses 50–500 g at ±0.5% fill-weight accuracy.
- Secondary and third fills (optional): olive oil, spice blends, chickpeas, pine nuts or herbs.
- Membrane sealing: film cut from a roll is heat-sealed to the flange for a tamper-evident closure.
- Nitrogen MAP (optional): flushing reduces residual oxygen to 0.3–0.4%.
- Lidding (optional): a plastic over-cap is placed and snapped on before discharge to the conveyor.
PLC controls and the HMI store a recipe for each SKU and raise diagnostic alerts, and changeover takes under about 15 minutes. Output is up to 30 cups per minute on a dry cycle and typically 18–25 in production, depending on product, cup size, fill weight and options.
Configuring a Dip Filling Machine for Dearborn's Mezze Products
Mezze products look alike on a shelf but behave very differently in a hopper and nozzle.
Hummus
Hummus viscosity shifts with tahini ratio, grind and temperature, so a batch can stiffen as it cools. The servo piston holds volumetric accuracy across that drift, and a suck-back nozzle keeps the dose tail off the flange, where it would weaken the seal. With up to three fillers, an olive oil pool (peristaltic pump) and whole chickpeas (garnish filler) go on in the same pass. See our hummus filling application guide.
Toum (garlic sauce)
Toum is a whipped emulsion of garlic, oil, lemon juice and salt. Excessive shear can break it so oil weeps out, and whipped-in air changes density, so a fixed volume does not always give the same weight. The piston moves a measured dose per stroke rather than circulating the sauce, and the optional weight checker with feedback loop corrects drift. The same principles apply to aioli and other garlic emulsions.
Labneh
Labneh is strained yogurt that can weep whey (syneresis) if over-worked or warmed. Fill it cold, minimize upstream pumping, and use a peristaltic pump for an olive oil layer and a vibration filler for za'atar. Our labneh and tahini filling page has configuration detail.
Baba ganoush
Roasted eggplant brings fibers, seeds and oil that separates on standing. Large-bore valving passes the particulates, a cut-off nozzle gives a clean break, and pomegranate seeds or parsley go through the garnish filler. More on our baba ganoush filling machine page.
Tahini
Tahini's oil separates on standing, so mix it upstream to keep every dose consistent. Foodservice tahini sauce cups sit at the low end of the range: 2 oz cups are possible, but fills below 50 g are outside it. Our tahini filling machine page compares nozzle choices.
Dearborn mezze products and typical SDH-R configuration
| Product | Main handling issue | Typical SDH-R configuration |
|---|---|---|
| Hummus | Viscosity drift; flange smearing | Servo piston, suck-back nozzle, oil and chickpea toppings |
| Toum | Emulsion breakdown; aeration | Servo piston, weight checker with feedback loop |
| Labneh | Syneresis; very high viscosity | Cold fill, peristaltic oil layer, vibration filler |
| Baba ganoush | Fibers, seeds, oil separation | Large-bore valving, cut-off nozzle, garnish filler |
| Tahini sauce | Oil separation; dripping | Upstream mixing, suck-back nozzle |
Shelf Life, MAP and Allergens on a Hummus Packaging Machine
Fresh hummus and dips typically hold about 7–10 days refrigerated. The optional nitrogen MAP system on the SDH-R reduces residual oxygen to 0.3–0.4%, which typically extends refrigerated shelf life to 30–45+ days depending on recipe, hygiene and cold chain, a longer window for products shipping beyond Metro Detroit. Validate the final date with your own testing; our article on MAP nitrogen flushing for dip shelf life covers the trade-offs.
Sesame became the ninth major US allergen on January 1, 2023, under the FASTER Act, so hummus, tahini, most baba ganoush and za'atar toppings must declare it. Pine nuts add a tree nut and labneh adds milk. Food-grade 304 stainless steel, tool-free strip-down and optional CIP support cleaning between allergen changeovers for plants operating under FSMA Preventive Controls (21 CFR Part 117), HACCP, SQF or BRCGS programs.
- Run allergen-free or single-allergen SKUs before multi-allergen SKUs each day.
- Verify cleaning with your validated allergen method before the next SKU.
- Check seal integrity after changeover, since flange residue is a frequent cause of leaking seals.
Get a configured SDH-R quote for your productSend your product, cup size and target cups per minute — we reply within 24 hours.
Request a quoteMichigan Licensing Pointers Before You Install a Food Packaging Machine in Dearborn
Your licensing route affects room layout, sinks, drains and timing, so confirm it before a machine arrives. Michigan's Food Law of 2000 requires food establishments to be licensed, and the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (MDARD) licenses businesses that primarily manufacture, process or store food, including wholesale food processors; restaurant-style food service is typically licensed through the local health department. These pointers are general, so check with MDARD for your operation.
- Plan review: contact MDARD before building or remodeling a processing room, and apply well ahead of opening.
- License type: MDARD's category generally follows your predominant sales channel, such as wholesale versus retail.
- Dairy: Michigan regulates yogurt under its Grade A milk program, so labneh may need a dairy plant license; ask MDARD's dairy section.
- Federal: FDA-registered facilities generally fall under 21 CFR Part 117 and need a written food safety plan.
Delivery From Calgary to Dearborn and Metro Detroit
Every SDH-R is built in Calgary, Alberta, with delivery 8–12 weeks from order confirmation. Because the machine crosses from Canada into the US, confirm freight terms, customs paperwork and receiving details at quote stage.
Dearborn is well connected for freight: I-94 runs through the city, the Southfield Freeway (M-39) crosses it north to south, Michigan Avenue (US-12) and Ford Road (M-153) run east-west, and I-96 lies just north in Detroit. Detroit's Eastern Market wholesale district and the Detroit Produce Terminal on West Fort Street are a short drive east, and the Ambassador Bridge and the Gordie Howe International Bridge, opened in July 2026, link the region to Ontario.
Measure your route in before delivery. The SDH-R occupies 44 × 52 in (1,100.5 × 1,315.5 mm) and stands 65.6 in (1,666 mm) tall, so the 44 in width usually decides whether it clears a doorway.
Service, Warranty and Engineering Support for Michigan Plants
Hummus Pack machines are powered by Alter Pack, which brings decades of experience in food packaging machinery. Our Calgary engineering team supports every machine, each SDH-R carries a 12-month warranty, and of our service centres in Alberta, New Jersey and California, New Jersey is the closest to Dearborn. Office hours are 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Mountain time on weekdays, which is 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM in Dearborn. To discuss a product or service question, contact our engineering and sales team.
When the SDH-R Is Not the Right Machine
We would rather tell you early than sell the wrong machine. The SDH-R is built for fresh, refrigerated products in pre-formed cups, filled at a pumpable temperature; our engineers confirm fill temperature, viscosity extremes and unusual particulates before quoting. Look elsewhere if:
- You need well above 30 cups per minute on one SKU; an inline cup filling line fits that volume better.
- Your product must be shelf-stable at room temperature, which needs aseptic or retort processing.
- You pack frozen products or want to thermoform cups from roll stock.
- You fill glass jars, such as retail tahini; the SDH-R fills cups and tubs.
- Your portions are under 50 g, such as 1 oz sauce cups.
Hummus Filling Machine Dearborn Pricing and How to Request a Quote
The SDH-R starts from $45,000 USD for a single-filler configuration, and price scales with additional fillers, MAP, labeling integration and custom tooling. Every hummus filling machine Dearborn buyers request is configured to their product, so to quote accurately we need:
- Your products, such as hummus, toum or labneh, and any toppings.
- Cup sizes and shapes, fill weights and target cups per minute.
- Options under consideration: MAP, lids, labeling, coding, weight checking or CIP.
Our team may ask follow-up questions about your application and replies within about 24 hours. Send details through our quote request form or call +1 (888) 922-7271. Supplying customers elsewhere in the region? See our pages for hummus producers in Detroit, Chicago-area food plants and the wider Midwest service area.
Hummus Filling Machine in Dearborn, MI — Frequently Asked Questions
The Hummus Pack SDH-R starts from $45,000 USD for a single-filler configuration. For a Dearborn or Michigan plant, the price rises with additional fillers for toppings, the nitrogen MAP system, labeling integration and custom tooling for non-standard cups, and freight is confirmed in your quote. Our cup filling and sealing machine cost guide explains each cost driver.
Lead time for the SDH-R is 8–12 weeks from order confirmation. Each machine is designed and built in Calgary, Alberta, and shipped across the border to Dearborn, so confirm freight terms, customs paperwork and receiving details when you request a quote.
Support for the SDH-R comes from our engineering team in Calgary and our service centres in Alberta, New Jersey and California; New Jersey is the closest to Dearborn. Every machine carries a 12-month warranty. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Mountain time, which is 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM Eastern time in Michigan.
Generally, yes. Michigan's Food Law of 2000 requires food establishments to be licensed, and the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (MDARD) licenses businesses that primarily manufacture or process food, such as wholesale food processors. Dairy products like labneh may fall under MDARD's dairy program. The right license depends on your products and sales channels, so check with MDARD before installing an automatic hummus filling machine.
Generally yes. Toum behaves much like aioli, which the SDH-R fills: its servo-driven volumetric piston moves a measured dose per stroke instead of circulating the sauce, which limits shear. Whipping adds air that changes density, so we often recommend the optional weight checker with feedback loop to hold fill weight. Very light or unstable emulsions should be reviewed with our engineering team first.
Yes. The SDH-R's HMI stores a recipe for each product, and changeover between SKUs takes under about 15 minutes, plus the cleaning your allergen program requires. Hummus and baba ganoush usually carry sesame and labneh carries milk, so plan production order and validated cleaning. Food-grade 304 stainless steel, tool-free strip-down and optional CIP are designed to support that routine.
The SDH-R fills 50 g to 500 g (about 2 oz to 17 oz) at ±0.5% fill-weight accuracy. Standard cup sizes are 4, 8, 10 and 16 oz, and custom sizes from 2 oz to 32 oz are available with matching change parts. Round, square and rectangular pre-formed cups are supported. Fills under 50 g, such as 1 oz sauce cups, are outside the standard range.
With the SDH-R's optional nitrogen MAP system, residual oxygen in the cup drops to 0.3–0.4%, and typical refrigerated shelf life for fresh hummus and dips extends from roughly 7–10 days to 30–45+ days, depending on recipe, plant hygiene and cold chain. That helps when Dearborn products ship beyond Metro Detroit. Confirm the final date with your own shelf-life testing.
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