Leading by Example - TOMRA Steam Peeling Revolution

Peeling potatoes on potato processing lines can be a bit like peeling notes from a wad of dollar bills and then throwing them away. Because mechanized peel removal also removes potato flesh, a high quantity of saleable raw material gets discarded. This is lost value and margin for a business, and over time it adds up to sums of money that food processors cannot afford to lose. Reducing food waste is one of the most important objectives of this generation. Processors, retailers and consumers increasingly focus on the origin of food and expect food producers to adopt sustainable business practices. Thankfully much of the product loss incurred during potato peeling is preventable, and this not only increases the utilization of the precious potato but also enables food processors to produce high-quality flavoursome dishes. Another important sustainability concern is energy use in production and associated greenhouse gas emissions. By increasing the yield from every piece of raw material entering the production process, businesses can operate for a shorter time to achieve the same required output, hence saving energy costs and water usage. The good news is that automated solutions are available to address these issues. Solutions that are both environmentally friendly and commercially savvy enhance processors' green credentials while also preventing waste from cutting away at the bottom line. As the world changes, so must processors Though it has always made good business sense to eliminate waste, this necessity is now more critical than ever because of the food industry's legislative and consumer-led changes. For one thing, demand for frozen potato products for food service is increasing, meaning that there's greater pressure to increase volumes and throughputs, and more business for processors to win or lose.

The History of Steam Peeling

For example, the growth in production capacity of frozen French fries in new regions is growing each year rapidly, with each new processing line in China, Africa, and Brazil capable of delivering 150,000 tons each year. Recently we have seen supply chain issues in North America resulting in shortages in Asia. Reducing food miles is another important challenge for the potato processing industry and challenges in logistics are discouraging businesses from shipping frozen products over long distances, meaning that new potato processing facilities are being built closer to local retailers. For another, consumer expectations of quality, flavour, and taste around the world are increasing. Consumers are getting fussier about the quality of the foods they buy, meaning that retailers are also becoming less tolerant of product imperfections. Achieving high-quality potato products from locally grown raw materials becomes essential. Innovation in potato seed has resulted in producing a wider range of new potato varieties that are more resistant to drought and wet, which is necessary due to climate change.

Today's state-of-the-art peeling technologies make it possible to simultaneously achieve big throughputs and high product quality. The ongoing battle to reduce waste Today some 85% of the world's French Fries are processed by TOMRA equipment, helping businesses save millions of dollars in waste. The path that led to this success was built over 50 years of research, development, and innovation. When caustic peeling machines were introduced to the potato industry in the 1950s, they brought the speed of automation at the expense of food waste: as well as dissolving the skin, these machines removed about 20% of the good flesh. This was improved in the 1960s when TOMRA introduced steam peeling, reducing potato loss to 13%. But still, there was room for improvement - which is why TOMRA has been committed ever since to researching and developing further innovations.

In fact, since TOMRA invented steam peeling, there have been five notable innovations, three of which are still in service. The first big innovation, in 1975, was the introduction of high-pressure batch steam peeling, to meet the needs of a growing industry in North America which required higher throughput capacity to keep up with rising demand.

By 1980, TOMRA was supplying and installing more than 80% of all the steam peelers in North America, a market share maintained today.

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