The nut industry faces complex challenges. For one thing, the expectation for quality has never been higher; consumers and retailers have zero tolerance for the presence of mycotoxins, a poisonous chemical released from certain strains of fungi that can contaminate nuts, and foreign materials such as sticks, stones, and shells can also create unsafe food. Alongside this, consumers have an expectation for nuts that are uniform in size and shape, with no insect bites or other cosmetic damage.
The challenges are not only related to safety and quality. For years, the market has seen the cost of raw materials go up, forcing processors to spend more on the production process, and on top of this, with environmental initiatives around the globe, governments are cracking down on the land and water usage of nut plants.
Bühler’s new optical sorting portfolio has been designed to counter the challenges of the nut industry, setting the standards for quality while reducing waste and increasing yields to offer the advanced sustainability and quality that processors require.
Introducing the new portfolio
SORTEX H SpectraVision
With 75 years of experience as the pioneer of optical sorting, Bühler has created the SORTEX H SpectraVision, the highest-performing optical sorter on the market. A color sorter, and a specialist in blanched and natural kernels, the SORTEX H brings up to 50% higher reject concentration, meaning processors can provide a higher quality product to the market while simultaneously reducing waste. The H machine also brings high capacity with full-color cameras and LEDs with triple the amount of light of other sorters to make challenging defect detection a thing of the past.
Beyond the specs, what excites the industry is the simplicity of the H machine, offering high performance with simple operation. MerlinAI, the SORTEX H’s new engine, self-adjusts and can automatically assign modes to bring a high level of self-functionality and ease of use to minimize the risk of human error.
Recommended nuts: almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, macadamia, pistachios, and peanuts.
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