First TOMRA Talks Nuts takes place in Alicante, Spain

The first TOMRA Talks Nuts event took place on March 13-14 at the La Sella Golf Resort Hotel in Denia, Alicante (Spain). The event brought together representatives from the nut industry, primarily from the almond and pistachio sectors. The program included talks, presentations, and demonstrations at the Borrell factory, TOMRA Food's official agent for nuts in Spain and Portugal for the past 12 years.

Alejandro Palacios, TOMRA Processed Food's Regional Sales Director for Southern Europe, commented that this TOMRA Talks event brought together more than 65 people, along with 12 members of their team. Companies in the almond, carob, pistachio, and tiger nut sectors shared experiences and ways of working.

Juan Vilar, CEO of Juan Vilar Strategic Consultants (specialists in implementing solutions for the agricultural sector), provided data highlighting the importance of this sector and emphasized that only 1% of the planet's water is fresh and accessible, and only 3% of the total planet is cultivable.

David Pérez Pimentel, manager of SAT del CAMPO (a pistachio cooperative), shared how the cooperative got started with just 5 members and how it has evolved into having one of the most modern pistachio plants in Spain.

Ignacio Lobato, CEO of Domo Pistachio (a pistachio marketer for SAT del CAMPO), discussed vertical integration in pistachio marketing, the importance of new developments, logistics, and how cooperation is essential when selling products and negotiating with supermarkets.

Luis Moreno, Applications Engineer and Brendan O'Donnell, Global Director of the Nut Category, both representing TOMRA Food United States, held presentations and detailed aspects of optical sorting and BSI+ technology. 

During the visit to Borrell's facilities, tests were carried out with TOMRA 5C, a premium sorter that allows more efficient classification, greater capacity, and better cost control for nut processors. Attendees also saw TOMRA 3C, a sorter whose color cameras can be complemented with laser detection technology or near-infrared (NIR) to examine the product for structural and biological defects. 

Removing unwanted objects from almonds is a common challenge processors face. To tackle this task, the most suitable machine is the TOMRA 5C, and in some cases, the TOMRA 3C. This equipment can process more than 16 tons of nuts per hour and is capable of removing foreign objects, including shells, husks, stones, sticks, and other common defects, with an efficiency that can reach 99.5% or higher.

Other important topics were touched upon, such as detecting aflatoxins through laser DETOX technology and inspection through X-rays with the new TOMRA 5X. 

TOMRA Talks Nuts brought together two distinct segments: the established almond industry versus the emerging pistachio sector.

Almonds have been a stable and historical market for Spain, with significant investments in optical sorting technology. On the other hand, pistachios is a more recent and growing sector.

Alejandro Palacios commented that this year, the first processing plants for pistachios have finally appeared in Spain. Pistachios were first planted in the country almost 6 years ago, and until now, there has been no production. While almonds start producing in 3 years, pistachios require about 6. 

The pistachio sector is in a period of expansion, and the TOMRA technology could be useful in their growth, too.

If you're a nut processor and wish to upgrade your sorting lines, send your inquiry