Buhler Sortex camera technology sorts out FM at Fruttagel factory.

Following an extensive three-month trial, Buhler Sortex InGaAs camera technology received more than thumbs up from Fruttagel, the Alfonsine, Italy-based frozen fruit and vegetable processing company. It was so pleased with the performance that an investment was made in a Sortex KBR optical sorting machine.

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Walter Gatti, Fruttagel production manager, said that the KBR unit significantly exceeded expectations for detecting and removing foreign material (FM) from vegetable mixes.

"While quality levels remained very high, amazingly the product rejection level was less than 0.2%, which provides a remarkably high yield," he reported. "And with the possibility of a rapid changeover from one product to another, there is virtually no downtime, either. We were extremely impressed."

Fruttagel processes some 25 mixed vegetable products for various supermarket chains. As well as selling foodstuffs under its own label, it distributes premium products to leading brands such as Buitoni, which means that they are ultimately sold via major retail outlets throughout Europe.

Originally developed for space and military application, InGaAs camera technology is highly effective in optical sorting because vegetable matter wavelengths absorb energy, while common packaging materials such as plastic, wood and cardboard reflect it. During processing, FMs are removed with pinpoint accuracy, while PROfile shape-recognition technology gets rid of EVMs (stalks, stems, pods, etc).

InGaAs technology is also used on the new SORTEX E machine for sorting mixed and mono vegetable products at the end of packing lines.

David Adams, Buhler Sortex market development manager, commented: "During initial trials, we used the KBR to sort Fruttagel minestrone, which contains rehydrated borlotti beans. These are notoriously difficult to color-sort, which is why the customer was sorting by hand.

"The KBR successfully separated foreign materials without rejecting the borlotti beans. Fruttagel was so impressed it agreed to a three-month trial to test all of its products--which amounted to more than 50 frozen complex mixes and simple vegetable mixes."