Article for Potato Business from TOMRA Food

Leading French potato producer PARMENTINE has equipped its new line in Samazan with two optical sorters from TOMRA Food - one the TOMRA 5A, the other the Sentinel II.

Digital culture is the art of creating a society that uses digital tools to bring to life a real sense of shared experience. It's about bringing together passionate people employing a digital platform to create a shared experience.

Since the dawn of JIT, manufacturing companies have strived for greater productivity, higher quality, and reduced costs. Some think that they have set the bar relatively high, or perhaps they are content with the height they have established themselves, but standards are continuing to rise, and complacency will not help them reach their potential.
There is a quote by Seth Godin that says: "You can raise the bar or wait for others to raise it, but it's getting raised regardless."

Traditionally, farmers could plan around what winter, spring, summer, and autumn would bring. They knew which crops to produce, the best time to plant, and who was buying. When it came to the weather, they had a good idea of what conditions to expect each season, literally writing the book on it in their annual publications that even today, are more accurate than the local meteorologist. Even still, the best almanac couldn’t have predicted chapters on unexpected market surges and social distancing protocols.

Lamb Weston / Meijer is one of the most recognized companies in the global potato industry, with a rich and starched history. The company’s mission - Wellbeing through Potatoes - and their customer-focused modus operandi has earned them stripes serving Quick Service Restaurants, large food chains and retailers all over EMEA.

For two years, SCEA HERMANT carefully considered acquiring a new optical sorter to sort and grade potato and onion crops prior to storage. The launch of the new TOMRA 3A convinced Loïc and Alain Hermant to make the investment. After the machine's first season, they are convinced they made the right decision.

The booming popularity of kettle chips (known in some parts of the world as ‘crisps’) brings potato processors a mixture of opportunities and challenges. Opportunities lie in the strong demand for a potato-based product that commands a premium price. Challenges arise because what originated as a low-volume ‘artisan’ snack must now be produced in vast and faultless quantities for big-brand retailers with reputations to protect.

The search for quality

Damien Renard, director of the EARL de Tremonvillers, has been collecting Quality certifications for 25 years: QUALITAIR, GRASP - GlobalG.A.P., HVE Level 3. Industrial customers make it, in some cases, a sine qua non condition for referencing. These quality labels also bring meaning to Damien's profession by validating or challenging his processes during the audit phases before certification.

The Jersey Royal Company, located in the British Crown Dependency of Jersey, is the producer of the internationally recognized Jersey Royal new potato in the Channel Islands. This business grows, washes, grades, packs, and supplies approximately 20,000 tons of potatoes every year. After a trial period the company has now committed to a full subscription service.