food Marketing - Technology 2/2023

Processing
and extraction is fast, thanks to a large
steam pipe, and mixing-and-lifting
plates inside the vessel – a unique,
patented design – ensure that as
the vessel rotates at high speed, the
vegetables are moved continuously for
even steam exposure.
The Eco steam peeler, launched in 2012,
introduced sophisticated automation
software to optimize steam usage and
achieve similar throughput capacities
with a smaller vessel. This machine
is mostly used for peeling potatoes,
but the advantages of its design – the
round vessel, extra-large steam pipe,
and high rotation speed – are also wellsuited
to some types of vegetables,
such as carrots and red beets. This is
the ‘Formula 1’ model of steam peelers,
unsurpassed in its performance, offering
more than some processors need
but the optimum solution for others.
Post-peeling processes can also
reduce waste
TOMRA also supplies and integrates
post-peeling equipment. To take care
of dry peel separation and washing,
the company has developed a number
of different products for large and
small vegetables, and for low and high
capacities.
The most commonly used of these
products, the TOMRA 8/30 Brusher,
has unique features for dry peel
separation, wet peel separation,
washing, quick and easy cleaning to
remove potential sources of crosscontamination,
and easy changeover
to different vegetables. Another
notable tool is the TOMRA Barrel
Washer: handling vegetables more
gently than other machines has made
product damage during washing a
thing of the past.
This post-peeling equipment also
improves sustainability. When
wet-washing, water filtration (with
a reusable rotary screen filter)
reduces water consumption; with dry
separation, water consumption at this
stage of the process is eliminated.
Processors who haven’t yet experienced
TOMRA’s peeling solutions
can trial them with examples of
their own produce (or similar) at
the company’s peeling process
development laboratory. This is located
in Ireland, but customers don’t have to
visit in person: demonstrations can also
be seen through live broadcasts made
securely over the internet. It is here
that TOMRA continues the research
and development that will keep on
bringing efficiency improvements
to vegetable peeling, benefiting the
profitability of processors and food
security of the planet.
fmt
Eamonn Cullen, Marketing Manager Peeling at TOMRA Food
32 food Marketing & Technology • April 2023