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La Ferme à Jules introduces baby carrots in France: Fast food in the French kitchen.
La Ferme à Jules:
There is a massive contrast between French cuisine — which was added by UNESCO to its lists of the world's "intangible cultural heritage'' — and the American fast food tradition. Even so, it seems that the French still have something to learn from the Americans. This is demonstrated by La Ferme à Jules, a company that is making pioneering efforts to introduce French consumers to baby carrots. These small, snack carrots are a typical American product and enjoy huge popularity in the USA, but they were relatively unknown until recently in France. But now La Ferme à Jules produces and packages around 500 kg of baby carrots an hour. These carrots are on sale in branches of the major French supermarkets, such as Carrefour, Auchan, Monoprix, Leclerc and Lafayette.
La Ferme à Jules paid a lot of care and attention to the packaging of the baby carrots. “First and foremost, it had to be appealing”, says Jules Becquet from La Ferme à Jules. “The green cartons we use are handy and easy to present on the shelves, and are highly appreciated by the shopping public.”
Sormac baby carrot production line:
To produce the baby carrots La Ferme à Jules uses machines from Sormac, market leader in the area of production lines for baby carrots in Europe. “We held negotiations with a variety of potential suppliers”, explains Mr Becquet, “but our choice finally fell on Sormac due to the quality and reliability of the processing machines and the outstanding support they offer customers.”
CRR revolver peeler:
The Sormac line operating at La Ferme à Jules consists of a transport belt, a CRR revolver peeler, an inspection table and hydrocooler. The CRR revolver peeler is the perfect choice for baby carrots, as the distance between the peeling rollers is extremely small (< 4 mm) so that even the smallest carrots cannot fall between the rollers.
Hydrocooler:
Peeling means friction and friction is heat, which means that the product is warmed up during the peeling process. This negatively influences the flavour and shelf life. For this reason it is essential to cool the baby carrots as soon as possible after they have been peeled. This process takes place in a hydrocooler where the product is transported against the direction of the water flow. The water has a temperature of 3°C. The water that continuously recirculates through the machine is cooled in a separate cooling unit. A slide chain system transports the carrots through the hydrocooler. By adjusting the belt speed, the dwell time in the water and accordingly the cooling time can be regulated.
USM-S100: the silent Sormac onion peeler at Peter CV
< 83 dB(A):
85 dB(A) is a magical limit. Exceed this limit and wearing hearing protection is a legal obligation. This is an important reason why Sormac scores so well with the silent onion peeler USM-S100. One of the companies that chose this silent peeler is Peter CV, in Dinteloord. Each year, this company supplies millions of portions of sliced onions, e.g. to well-known fast food chains. And these customers don’t just place high demands on the product, they also take into account whether sustainable production methods are used.
Co-operation Sormac and Peter CV:
Peter CV therefore decided to replace its existing machines with four USM-S100 models from Sormac. “We compared various machines, but the USM-S100 won our vote in the end”, explains Alex Buermans, one of the two directors at Peter CV. “The distinctive feature of the Sormac onion peelers is their supreme ease of operation and the perfect peeling quality. And not just with normal onions, but also with the less firmly structured red onions.”
Benefits:
“The USM-S100 has low energy consumption, one of the reasons being that it uses less compressed air”, adds Albert Linders, the other director at Peter CV. “And what's more they are easy to maintain and clean, so working is even more hygienic and we can cut costs. But the thing that strikes you most is the incredibly low noise level, less than 83 dB(A).” Since the four peelers have been operating, Alex Buermans has noticed a reduction in energy consumption of 60 kW. This can mainly be attributed to the low consumption of compressed air.
What can Sormac and Wimbledon teach us?
You have also undoubtedly gazed in admiration at the wonderful grass surface of centre court at Wimbledon. In line with long tradition, this grass is only mowed using cylinder mowers. And the greenkeepers at Wimbledon know why.
As the name suggests, the cylinder mower consists of a cylinder shaped body containing the blades. The blades all rotate at the same speed and direction, giving an extremely uniform, cleanly cut surface. The alternative is a rotary mower. A blade spins quickly to cut the grass, but the speed at the outer edge is naturally higher than closer to the centre so it tends to shred rather than cleanly cut.
In the construction of its knife peeler, Sormac has borrowed from the knowledge of the experienced greenkeepers at Wimbledon. In the drum of the MS-1T the knives all have the same forward speed at each point where they come into contact with the potatoes. Even under a microscope the cell structure of the peeled product is highly regular.
It's a different story with a rotating wing knife. A potato peeled by the extremity of the blade will be peeled differently to a potato that is closer to the revolving shaft of the wing knife. The result is less uniformity in the peeling structure.
The better yield produced by the drum peeler, and the fact that it also peels the tops of the potatoes well is an added bonus!
Because of the explosive demand from the market, Sormac has built a series of 16 potato knife peelers type MS. Recently a part of this series was ready for dispatch to various customers. The other potato peeling machines are currently being manufactured.
Some important features of this potato peeler are:
> smooth peeled surface for extended shelf life
> perfect peeling quality (no flat peeling)
> knife life of more than 2.000 operating hours
> yield several % higher than with flat bed peelers
Your product is our care
Five potato knife peelers MS-1Ts for Schaap Holland
Schaap Holland B.V.:
Biddinghuizen, the base of Schaap Holland, is located in the polder landscape of Flevoland. The company is surrounded by fertile clay soils in the middle of potato fields as far as the eye can see. Schaap has more than forty years of experience in trading and processing potatoes and has evolved into one of the largest processors of fresh potatoes in Europe. The fact that Schaap still prefers to use knife peeling to process the huge amounts of potatoes instead of steam peeling all boils down to the way in which the potatoes are processed further. The surface of steamed peeled potatoes is, after all, slightly cooked, which means that steam peeled potatoes are not suitable for all forms of further processing.
Fresh peeling potatoes:
To peel the fresh potatoes, Schaap Holland already used two peeling lines, the peeling section of which consisted of an abrasive peeler, a roller knife peeler and a flat bed knife peeler. For a variety of reasons Schaap decided some time ago to search for an alternative for the two knife peelers. After a series of intensive tests using machines from various manufacturers, the company ultimately decided to equip one of the peeling lines with Sormac drum knife peelers type MS-1T. The performance shown by this machine was so convincing than within a year they decided to replace the other peeling machines by Sormac drum knife peelers.
Opt for Sormac drum knife peelers:
According to technical manager Henk van Raalte at Schaap there were more reasons to opt for Sormac's knife peelers. “First of all, the MS-1T peels the potatoes perfectly with no flat peeling effect. Partly due to this, the peeling yield is higher than that of the original machines. Plus, the energy consumption of the Sormac machines is low, leading to considerable energy saving - directly and for the cooling capacity in the hall. The machines are also easy and quick to clean, and finally the low maintenance costs also tipped the balance in Sormac's favour. With the first set of knives we ran two shifts for more than a year!”
The pleasant contacts with Sormac have paid a positive contribution to the end results. With the new peeling line, Schaap Holland is completely ready for the future!
Vezet:
Vezet is one of the largest fruit and vegetable processing businesses in the Netherlands and leads the market in freshly sliced, ready-to-cook vegetables. Vezet aims to be the best and most progressive developer, producer and highly valued supplier of fruit and vegetables that have been processed to prepare them for immediate use. It is precisely for this reason that Vezet has opted to co-operate with Sormac for machinery to dry their leaf vegetables. Vezet recently expanded its machinery park with three, new large type SC-940 centrifuges from Sormac and a smaller SC-740.
Working innovative centrifuge:
Bert Haffmans, owner and director of Sormac, explains how this innovative centrifuge works in a few words:
“In a leaf vegetable centrifuge with a vertical drum, the leaves move upwards as the drum revolves. The leaves bunch together, which can cause bruising. With a horizontal drum it's difficult to distribute the leaves evenly, so the leaves end up in an uneven layer with a lot of damage as the result.
The Sormac centrifuge SC-940 has an inclined, completely smooth drum, without a central shaft or other protruding parts that could damage the leaves. This drum is suspended in a magnetic field, so it is kept in place and rotates evenly and smoothly. The centrifuge is loaded while the drum is slowly rotating, to achieve a uniform distribution of leaves over the inside of the drum. Thanks to the drum's size, the leaves form a very thin layer. As the drum revolves faster only slight, even pressure is exerted on the leaves which keeps the risk of damage to the product in the drum to a minimum. At the end of the cycle the drum slows, and helped by the incline the product gently glides onto the out-feed belt.
The rotational speed of the centrifuge is settable, so it can be set to the optimal speed for various types of leaf vegetable. Although the machine processes in batches, a constant product flow product to and from the centrifuge is possible as the in-feed belt for the following batch is loaded while the previous batch is bring dried.”
Sormac is proud that a renowned company like Vezet has chosen the centrifuge that takes the best care of delicate products!
As from April 1st 2010 spare parts are available from US-stock for our US and BC/Canada customers.
Please contact:
REYCO SYSTEMS INC.
P.O. Box 1120
Meridian ID 83680-1120
Mr. Alan Page
Telephone: 001-208 888 2449
Fax: 001-208 887 9948
E-mail: apage@reycosys.com / info@reycosys.com
Sormac Improvement System (SIS) on e.g. onion peeler!
For machinery construction companies there is no better or more reliable development partner than their own customers. This fact has been recognised by Sormac for years – which is why the Sormac Improvement System [SIS] has been set up. This is a databank which accurately registers all the remarks and suggestions from customers (and also from our own employees) about Sormac machines and analyses the information so it can be used to improve the features of machines in the future. This system means that Sormac machines are partly the result of the experience and input of numerous users. Sormac is grateful to its customers for their positive criticism and suggestions for improvements!
Alva Verse Vruchten in Hasselt, Belgium is a wholesaler in fruit and vegetables, and includes an integrated vegetable cutting facility operating under the name Fresja. Alva Verse Vruchten is both a distributor and a fruit and vegetable processor. Thanks to excellent cooperation with local growers and with the major Belgian auctions, fresh produce is supplied seven days a week. Their customer base includes retail organisations, care institutes and the processing industry. The produce is supplied unprocessed and processed. Pre-sliced vegetables are produced daily in the company's own, modern 2,000 m² cutting plant, which operates fully according to HACCP and BRC standards.
Alva processes a lot of onions, namely aromatic Spanish onions. The company already had a Sormac line dating from 1999 with a USM-1 for this purpose. After 10 years of faithful service, the company wanted to replace this machine by one with more possibilities and greater ease of operation. Thanks to years of experience in peeling onions, the directors Vanstraelen at Alva knew exactly what they wanted. It gives us great pleasure to see that practically all their ideas have been incorporated in the USM-X100.
Sormac boosts its profile as a builder of dependable machinery and the market leader!
The annual Fruit Logistica trade fair in Berlin, the leading event for the fruit and vegetable sector, attracted a record number of visitors in three days. Once again, the Sormac stand was buzzing with visitors. Various new, technologically advanced machines were presented, including:
- The world’s most silent onion peeler;
- The centrifuge for drying leafy vegetables with a larger drum (higher capacity) and even less risk of damage to the produce.
Extension delivery program:
To top all this, Sormac presented a new processing line aimed at the lower market segment for a broad range of produce (including carrot pieces, leek slices, chopped onions, Julienne potatoes). Other attention grabbers were the GWM vegetable washing machine, the HS centrifuge, the BSM belt cutter and the DC dicer. Visitors to the stand could see the processing machines in action.
Special customer evening:
On the second day of the show, Sormac hosted a special evening for its customers in the famous Funkturm in Berlin. The reactions were overwhelmingly positive. Mr van Avendonk from Groenteverwerking Bladel commented: “Sormac arranged everything right down to the smallest details, they do more than simply construct machinery. They are a team that thinks with the customer and even thinks two steps ahead. Leading in technology certainly applies to Sormac.”
Centrifuge SC-740: from good to better!
At the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Bob Beamon performed a jump that would land him at a distance of 8.90 metres. A distance no one was expected to beat. Until Mike Powell jumped 8.95 metres in 1991 in Tokyo. The moral of this story: even if it's good, it can still get better.
With this in mind Sormac recently presented an updated version of the SC-740 centrifuge. This machine can be used as a stand-alone unit, but also harmonises perfectly with a Pulstar salad washer in a salad leaf processing line.
The SC-740 has an ingenious filling system with infeed belt, so the product is always distributed evenly and at an optimal filling thickness over the drum. This fact and the almost horizontal alignment of the drum mean that no excess pressure is ever exerted on the delicate produce, so the leaves are not damaged.
The new centrifuge SC-740 features a modified cover design with a self balancing air buffer system. Combined with the patented suspension of the drum with magnetic axial bearing, this creates a more stable salad centrifuge than was previously available. An innovative blasting technique ensures that each and every leaf exits the drum clean after each charge.
The improvements added to the SC-740 centrifuge prove once again that Sormac is continually engaged in innovation: from good to better!
MS-Combi: one machine, dual processes
Knife peeling potatoes offers many advantages. For example, a smooth surface, which contributes to a longer keepability of the product and reduces discoloration of the potatoes. The dreaded ‘second skin’ that often occurs when scraping young potatoes, is hardly ever seen with knife peeling. The appearance of knife peeled potatoes is as hand peeled, a feature greatly appreciated by consumers.
Originally the choppy surface of the product was a disadvantage of knife peeling. This occurred if the potato was not rotated properly during the peeling process. Sormac’s MS-1T has, however, solved this problem. To obtain the bests results, knife peeling must be combined with pre-peeling. This requires an extra carborundum peeler. This is not such a problem if large volumes of potatoes have to be processed, but it can be awkward for medium and small sized companies, as a second machine - and extra space- is required. Plus the products have to be conveyed from one machine to the other, which also involves extra time and costs.
To make knife peeling an interesting option for small and medium sized companies, Sormac has come up with the solution in the shape of the MS-Combi. The potatoes are pre-peeled in the first part of the drum of this machine using especially developed pre-peeling plates. The product is subsequently peeled in the peeling drum in the same way as in the MS-1T. The compact and efficient MS-Combi is ideally suited for small and medium sized peeling companies as its dual purpose processing action offers the perfect alternative to using two machines.
For the technical design of the Sormac brush polisher type BRR the good experience gained with the successful CRR revolver peeler was used. Details that have proven to be good, such as the double bearings in the rollers have been copied. The brush rollers are easily and quickly changed, without any need to remove the bearings, thanks to a unique clamp system. The rotating brush polisher from Sormac has been officially presented at the Fruit Logistica. If you missed, visit the Anuga Foodtec, where this machine also will be present. Hall 10.1, stand G020.
Sormac’s range of products already included the WOS-1 and -1A and the WOA-3 and -4 for carrot topping and piece cutting. The WOS-2A has now also joined the range. This machine is ideal for processing long, thin carrots, such as the Imperator.
When mechanically peeling carrots it's important to feed them into the machine in the same longitudinally aligned direction, with the pointed end first. For carrots that only need topping, it's better if all the carrots are aligned in the same direction. To position the carrots after singulation, Sormac has developed the highly innovative Carrot Flipper type CF-60. This machine is the inventive answer to market demands which require increasing process automation.
