French potato producer acquires two optical sorters from TOMRA

Every year, SA PARMENTINE processes 180.000 tons of potatoes, three-quarters of which go to the domestic market, and the rest is distributed to other European countries.

The entity brings together over 400 producers who cultivate potatoes on 3.835 hectares of surface. 

It has 240 shareholders and more than 200 employees. It typically packs 1.150 tons of potatoes per day, and has storage facilities for 150.000 tons. 

The group counts with storage and packing sites in 5 production areas in France: Saint-Méen-le-Grand in Brittany, Champagne in Fère-Champenoise, Cavaillon in Provence, Voves in Eure-et-Loir, and Samazan in Lot-et-Garonne. 

Being committed to environmental responsibility, the business uses biodegradable packaging and includes the production of zero-pesticide organic crops.

About PARMENTINE.

PARMENTINE was founded in 1997 in Voves, in the Loire Valley. In 2013, the site suffered a fire, and was completely reconstructed and re-equipped with new equipment valued at 11 million euro. 

Today these premises hold the largest of all PARMENTINE’s storage units, its capacity capacity is 80.000 tons of potatoes, including 55.000 tons refrigerated. Every day, this plant packages 350 tons. 

The 8.000 sq.m. packaging center in Voves dispatches various types of potatoes. It is equipped with the most modern grading and sorting technologies to achieve the highest-quality product. 

This is the unique center in France equipped to wash the potatoes in heated water after being delivered from the field. 

All PARMENTINE’s factories closely cooperate with TOMRA and employ Titan II, TOMRA 5A, Sentinel multi-track sorters and Compac Sizer MLS  InVision 9000CIR.

According to Roberto Ricci, Regional Director EMENA at TOMRA Food, in 2014, Parmentine acquired 2 new fresh potato processing lines on 2 sites, in Fere Champenoise and in Voves.

They selected Odenberg and Compac machines: a Compac Sizer 8-line MLS Invision 9000CIR in Fere Champenoise, and a Compac Sizer 6-line InVision MLS 9000CIR in Voves. 

Quality and efficiency.

At Voves, 2 Field Potato Sorters (FPS) are installed at the plant’s entrance to receive unwashed tubers. This initial step eliminates foreign materials (stones and clods of earth) and defects which could disrupt production-flow on the lines, and could cause machine stoppages and breakages.

Then, the tubers go to 2 lines equipped with Titan II optical sorters which eliminate defective products - green, cut, or rotten potatoes. Each potato is precisely examined, refining the quality of the product flow. The machines ensure efficiency of the process, even though potatoes move at high speed through the sorting machines. 

A final passage is realized on another multi-track sorting machine which detects the smallest defects and sorts the potatoes according to their size, and directs them to the packaging line or into palloxes in the storage spot.

The Compac technology allows grading of the tubers due to various parameters (size, volume, shape, length, color). 

According to Thierry Lamblin, PARMENTINE Group’s Marketing and Development Director, the high-resolution cameras take 40 images of each potato, allowing extremely precise grading and packaging. 

Recently, PARMENTINE re-engineered and expanded its 6.000 sq.m. site in Samazan. Since November 2020, this facility has been running in updated and upgraded format with the TOMRA 5A and Sentinel II sorters.

The TOMRA 5A sorting machine provides precise foreign material removal, peeling inspection, and quality control. 

This machine is easy to utilize, and offers a library of 20-30 different programs, to adjust sorting settings to potato variety (red or white) and to fine-tune sorting parameters. 

The Sentinel II is located upstream to remove various defects (damage, discoloration, out-of-grade products), and to remove foreign materials. 

Olivier Goussard, Technical Director of PARMENTINE Group, commented that TOMRA’s people are responsive and understand the importance of customer service. 

TOMRA Food is a producer of sensor-based sorting machines and integrated post-harvest equipment for the food industry. The company uses one of the world’s most advanced grading, sorting, peeling and analytical technology.

Their main goal is to help their customers to improve returns, gain operational efficiencies, minimise food waste, ensure quality and a safe food supply with sustainable technologies. 

Their solutions are installed at food growers, packers and processors around the world. This allows businesses to maximise productivity and recovery rates, while reducing food waste and developing the overall quality of the produce.

To learn more about TOMRA Food, follow the link.