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food Marketing - Technology 2/2023

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food Marketing & Technology is the international magazine for executives and specialists in the food industry.

Processing steam peelers

Processing steam peelers are something else. Technical innovations have greatly improved operating speed, peeling efficiency, controllability, energy use, and safety. Peeling quality is higher, uniformity greater, food waste usually lower than 10% and sometimes as low as 6.5%. On some lines this prevents the loss of an estimated 1,000 kg of vegetable material every hour. That’s an estimated saving of €200,000 per year. And the fourth reason? Taking action to reduce food waste demonstrates a commitment to sustainability. This matters both for economic and environmental reasons. Because the global population is growing so fast, food production will need to increase by 70% by 2050, according to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Yet the food sector already accounts for about 30% of the world’s total energy consumption and 22% of greenhouse gas emissions. To make matters worse, some 14% of food produced is lost between harvest and retail. And it’s not only the UN that cares about these things: food buyers do, too. Consumers increasingly expect food businesses to adopt sustainable practices, and food retailers expect the same from their suppliers. Peeler versatility is a big advantage The standard-setter in designing and manufacturing steam peeling machines is TOMRA Food, best-known for its world-leading optical sorting and grading technologies. The unmatched effectiveness of TOMRA’s solutions results from the company’s significant ongoing investment in research and development, a deep-rooted culture of innovation, and decades of experience working closely with processors to truly understand their operational challenges. More than 500 TOMRA steam peelers are currently in operation around the world. Approximately two-thirds of these process potatoes and one-third process other vegetables – mostly carrots, but also beetroot, butternut squash, kohlrabi, parsnip, pumpkin, and root celery. Some processors peel all of these products in the same factory, sometimes on the same line. This is made possible by the versatility of TOMRA’s sorters and steam-peelers; by these machines being designed to be easy to clean, which helps prevent cross-contamination; and by the machine controls having menus which allow operators to switch easily from one type or size of vegetable to another. Machine versatility is also important on lines that process only one type of vegetable because the crops coming out of the ground can be so variable. It’s not easy achieving consistent product quality when vegetables are irregular in size, shape, and quality. This challenge has become tougher in recent years because of climate change: once-predictable seasonal temperatures and rainfall are now erratic, affecting crops. This makes it even more important to have a peeler with processing flexibility – an advantage that has to be designed into the peeler’s batch weighing module, pressure vessel, steam exhaust system, and control program. Peeler performance depends on design In addition to versatility, another key for unlocking greater yields is peeler performance. Best performance is attained by peeling at high steam Eco Peeling Line Vanmark With Platform 30 food Marketing & Technology • April 2023

Processing pressure for a short time. Low-cost, low-tech steam peelers simply can’t do this: steam can only be delivered to their thin-walled vessels at low pressure and the vegetables have to be steamed for as long as 40-100 seconds. This wastes more than twice as much raw material as the best hightech steam peelers and consumes far more energy and water. As a designer and manufacturer of the best-performing high-tech steam peelers, TOMRA offers three alternatives: the Orbit, the Odyssey, and the Eco steam peeler. Since 2020, each of these machines has been equipped with fully automated control programs, making it easy to switch between different types and sizes of vegetables, optimizing process efficiency and yield. But each of these machines also differs slightly, in purpose, capabilities, and cost. The Orbit steam peeler is the number one choice for vegetable processors. It is popular for its versatility and because it straddles the middle ground between the entry-level Odyssey and the highperformance Eco steam peeler. The Orbit was developed following extensive testing of steam pressure, exhaust systems, and different vessel shapes, and when launched in 2000, it brought a step-change to the industry. It provides the fast steam supply and exhaust design of the ECO peeler with a vegetableoptimized pressure vessel design. Highly efficient at processing baby carrots and small red beets (and potatoes), the Orbit can also accommodate large vegetables such as pumpkin, butternut squash, and root celery. The Odyssey steam peeler is for users who want to peel efficiently but have a smaller budget for investing in equipment. This machine’s longer pressure vessel is intended primarily for larger vegetables. Steam delivery food Marketing & Technology • April 2023 31 Key No. 104586

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