The need for speed at vegetable processing facilities can sometimes seem incompatible with their other operational and commercial objectives. Perishable produce must be sorted and packed quickly to maximize its shelf life, but the faster this is done, the less time there is for large volumes of produce to be sorted accurately for food safety and quality. And as an added complication, retailers and consumers increasingly expect food producers to adopt sustainable working practices.

Brand Loyalty. For some, it’s a buzz word. For others, it’s marketing jargon. For petfood manufacturers, it’s the key to remaining competitive in a rapidly evolving industry. But can a brand ever be a man’s best friend? 

While a brand may not be able to compete for that position, it can certainly come close. When it comes to petfood, consumers seek long-term reliability and quality for the beloved canine members of their family.  

TOMRA Food has just introduced the TOMRA 3A, a vision sorter for the separation of a range of Foreign Material from unwashed potatoes. Developed in response to specific customer challenges, the TOMRA 3A delivers a new level of FM sorting performance but with added features. 

What is your role at TOMRA?

Currently I’m a Project Manager. In that role I’m responsible for the (further) development of the TOMRA 5B. Before that I was Application Engineer.

With this year's season well and truly over, it’s time to assess your operational performance by asking the following questions: Did you reap the full benefit of your time, effort and energy? Could you have done anything differently? Is there anything you could look at improving to elevate your process and ensure next season’s success?

Lewis Hamilton, Simon Cowell, Bill Clinton and half of Hollywood have recently announced their dedication to a plant-based diet. Veganism and vegetarianism are not new. What is new, is how we perceive these lifestyle choices and the sheer number of plant-based foods on offer to us. 

As the appeal of plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy continue to grow, vegetable producers are presented with a new, highly lucrative market receiving heavy investment in preparation for enormous growth. 

TOMRA Food will showcase its sensor-based sorting solutions at the Almond Conference 2019, which will take place from December 10-12 in Sacramento, California. It will demonstrate the TOMRA 3C, the new optical sorter which is set to be a game changer for almond hulling and shelling operations. TOMRA Food will also highlight the benefits of its ground-breaking Detox Laser technology, which is having excellent success across the world with its accurate detection of aflatoxin contamination, and take part in the panel discussion “Sorting for Aflatoxin” on December 11.

Only a few years ago, labor automation seemed like a futuristic nice-to-have rather than a serious necessity for food producers. Now, most vegetable producers view automation on some level as essential to the success of their business. 

Consumer trends and tastes come and go. However, there are constants in the food industry that remain the same: maximizing yield, waste reduction, production line reliability, hygiene and safety. 

By using the TOMRA 3A high-performance sorting machine Duchemin (Caen) are able to ensure their potatoes are a premium product.

Demand for organic food is on the rise. In the US alone in 2017, the market was valued at $45.20billion. By 2025, it is forecast to be worth $70.4billion. This upsurge is fuelled by many aspects, including the trend towards plant-based diets and healthier living. It is also indicative of another trend: that consumers are willing to pay more to know precisely where their veggies come from.