TOMRA to showcase sensor-based potato sorter in Belgium

TOMRA Sorting Food, a leading provider of sensor-based food sorting machines and processing technology for the fresh and processed food industries, will be an exhibitor at PotatoEurope scheduled from 2-3 September on Rue de Mourcourt 2 near Kain, Belgium.

At booth T78, the company puts the spotlight on the Field Potato Sorter (FPS), a sensor-based food sorting machine for unwashed potatoes, removing large soil clumps, stones and other foreign material at the earliest opportunity in the sorting process. The state-of-the-art system offers growers significantly reduced labor and storage cost and ensures a smoother, more efficient sort further down the production line, increasing product quality and yield.

The Food Potato Sorter (FPS) from TOMRA is for sorting unwashed potatoes

The FPS is the first successful optical sorting solution in the industry for all types of unwashed potatoes, says TOMRA. The machine is fitted with the company’s BSI (Biometric Signature Identification) technology which identifies and compares the physical characteristics of good product and defects, and sorts based on these clear patterns.

“Visitors to PotatoEurope will be able to get a sense of the superior abilities of the Field Potato Sorter compared to standard mechanical sorting systems,” says Steve Raskin, sales director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).  “At the booth, we will be sorting potatoes on the machine so visitors will be able to see how this sorter can replace the hard-to-find man power needed to clean the product stream going into and out of potato storage.”

TOMRA’s cutting-edge innovations help processors meet exacting food safety regulations and make for a smart business investment, ensuring an efficient production line operation, optimizing throughput and yield, while minimizing downtime and labor costs.

Using a variety of sensors outperforms the common use of color cameras. With sensors, the sorters can detect the smallest defect or foreign material. Near Infra-Red (NIR) spectroscopy enables an analysis of the molecular structure of a product whilst x-rays, fluorescent lighting and lasers measure the elemental composition of objects. The internal composition and surface structure of objects can also be analyzed to determine good or bad produce.

TOMRA Sorting Food is part of TOMRA Sorting Solutions which also develops sensor-based systems for the recycling, mining and other industries.