Approximately 70,000 visitors are expected to attend the February 8-10 Fruit Logistica in Berlin, Germany. While the vast majority of show-goers will be there to transact fresh produce business, a significant number of frozen fruit and vegetable suppliers and buyers will be on the scene looking to cash in on commercial opportunities. In addition, equipment manufacturers and cold chain operators serving the frozen sector will be part of the 2,884 exhibitors at the Messe Berlin fairgrounds.
Among the frozen fruit companies looking for new customers will be Sosnowica, Poland-based Agronom Berries, which ranks as one of the largest suppliers of Global GAP-certified berries in the country. It will hold forth in Hall B, Stand E-25.
Frozen strawberries and raspberries offered by Agronom are processed just a few hours after harvesting, and thus retain up to 80% of original vitamin value. Products are distributed in retail bags as well as in bulk-size cardboard boxes.
Latin Food Fresh & Frozen (LFF&F) of Guatemala will showcase a range of IQF vegetables and fruit from Central America at Stand C-01 in Hall 25. Front and center will be snow peas sourced from the highlands, in addition to chipilin leaves and loroco herbs.
Among non-frozen items produced by LFF&F under the Mayan IXQ brand are honey, panela, snack and salad mixes (chia seeds, amaranto, dried fruits, etc.) and juices.
Thakolsri Farm Co. Ltd. will display a wide array of frozen fruit products including mango, jackfruit and golden banana at Stand A-04 in Hall 11.1. All varieties are harvested from a leading farm in Thailand. Founded in 1970 in Petchabun province, it has more than 800 hectares under cultivation and has been Global GAP-accredited since 2008.
Bogota, Colombia-based C.I. Frutireyes will serve up a comprehensive range of products including physalis, passion fruits, granadilla, avocado, tamarillo, pitahaya, Tahiti limes, maracuya and cactus figs – most of which is available frozen as well as in dried form. Check out the offerings in Hall 23, Stand B-02.
Peeled, pitted quick-frozen avocados and tropical fruit will be front and center at the Salud Foodgroup Europe NV stand, along with value-added items such as 500-gram units of Extreme Supreme Guacamole accented with jalapeño, garlic, tomato and onion.
“We have solved the problems of stocking fresh avocados by ensuring that you receive consistent quality year-round,” states a notice at the Oosterhout, Holland-headquartered company’s website. “Nowadays consumers are more health-conscious than ever. The Hass avocado contains a great number of unsaturated oils and essential vitamins and minerals, and is therefore recommended in various diets.”
In addition to guacamole, Salud Foodgroup Europe markets frozen tropical fruits including mango chunks in resealable 1-kg bags, as well as strawberries.
Bart’s Potato Company, which handles more than 200,000 tons of spuds per year, claims to be the biggest exporter of potatoes in Belgium. Based in Vleteren, the family-owned company got into the frozen segment of the market in 2015. It will offer an extensive line of IQF french fries and potato specialties at Stand B-07 in Hall 6.21.
Freezing Equipment
On the freezing equipment front, Heinen Freezing GmbH & Co. KG will be present at Stand C-11 in Hall 3.1 promoting a product portfolio of highly efficient spiral freezers, fluidized bed systems and multilevel box freezers. In addition to freezing technology, the Varel, Germany-headquartered company offers clients cooling, pasteurizing and proofing solutions.
Whether single, low-capacity units, a large-scale series of machines, or complex combinations of equipment integrated into a production line, Heinen products are tailor-made to suit client specifications. The company excels in building customized systems or adapting models in its standard line to meet the exacting requirements of customers by utilizing numerous time-proven options.
Vicenza, Italy-based PIGO Food Processing Systems, a freezing equipment manufacturer and fruit and vegetable processing equipment supplier, will hold forth at Stand B-17 in Hall 4.1. It supplies both spiral and fluidized bed freezers to customers around the world. All units, such as the EASY Freeze model, are built in modular sizes and components are made entirely of stainless steel.
Also in the spotlight will be the PG 103 automatic fruit-pitting machine. It boasts 50-100% higher capacity than other pitting machines on the market, featuring an optimal tact of 60 cycles per minute.
North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany based John Bean Technologies GmbH (JBT) will welcome visitors at Stand B-02 in Hall 6.1. The dual freezing zones and divided pressure chamber on its Frigoscandia FLoFREEZE IQF Freezer are designed to provide gentle freezing of delicate berries and vegetables, protecting product appearance and ensuring that end-users get easy-to-thaw product. The IQF technology is based on the use of a bed of super-cooled air to suspend and separate solid food products while simultaneously freezing them.
The FLoFREEZE IQF freezer is promoted as offering “the perfect method for freezing seasonal fruit and vegetables,” including berries, cherries, peas, spinach, broccoli, carrots and cauliflower. Capacities range from 500 to 18,000 kilograms per hour.
JBT’s other freezer lines include the Frigoscandia GYRoCOMPACT range of spiral freezers and chillers, and the ADVANTEC Impingement Freezer. The company, which has fully-equipped food technology centers in Sweden and the United Kingdom, designs and manufactures a full range of stand-alone food processing equipment and integrated in-line systems for every stage of the food processing chain, including portioning, coating, frying, cooking, baking, freezing, chilling and proofing.
Sorting it Out
TOMRA Sorting Food, formerly BEST and ODENBERG, will exhibit sensor-based sorting machines for the food industry at Stand A-13 in Hall 6.1. The Leuven, Belgium-based company has installed over 5,900 systems at food processing plants and growing facilities worldwide.
TOMRA’s range runs the gamut from high-performance optical sorters to graders, peeling and process analytics systems for fruits and vegetables as well as potato products, nuts, meat and seafood. The systems ensure an optimal quality and yield, resulting in increased productivity, throughput and an effective use of resources.
Also on the scene will be the Hasselt, Belgium-based unit of Key Technology, another supplier of optical sorters as well as specialized conveying systems and processing equipment for food processors.
At Fruit Logistica the spotlight will be on Key’s VERYX belt-fed digital sorter for the fruit and vegetable processing industry. Featuring a highly innovative mechanical architecture, sustainable all-sided surface inspection, multi-sensor Pixel Fusion, high-resolution cameras and laser sensors and extreme ease-of-use, it maximizes foreign material (FM) and defect detection and removal while virtually eliminating false rejects. Visitors will be able to see the system in action by visiting Stand A-01 in Hall 7.1a.
