French potato producer PARMENTINE has equipped its new line in Samazan with two optical sorters from TOMRA Food – one the TOMRA 5A, the other the Sentinel II. SA PARMENTINE processes 180,000 tons of potatoes per year, selling three-quarters of these in France and the remainder in other European nations. By operating an integrated upstream-downstream business model, PARMENTINE contracts supplies from farmers who are mostly shareholders in the business.
PARMENTINE brings together more than 400 producers who grow potatoes on 3,835 hectares of land. This enterprise has 240 shareholders, employs more than 200 people, typically packs 1,150 ton of potatoes per day, and has storage facilities for 150,000 tons.
“In 2014, Parmentine invested in two new fresh potato processing lines on two sites, in Voves and Fere Champenoise. They chose Odenberg and Compac machines (today both companies are part of TOMRA Food): a Compac Sizer 6-line InVision MLS 9000CIR at the Voves site and a Compac Sizer 8-line MLS Invision 9000CIR at the Fere Champenoise facility,” explains Roberto Ricci, regional director EMENA at TOMRA Food. “Odenberg and Compac have been selected for their technological excellence in their respective specialties. These two brands have now come together in the TOMRA Food group – proof that, in its long-term growth strategy, TOMRA Food acquires the best companies and technologies.”
Growers in various regions provide PARMENTINE with a number of different potato varieties, enabling the business to adapt to changing customer demands. The business’ commitment to environmental responsibility includes the production of zero-pesticide organic crops and the use of biodegradable packaging.
Thierry Lamblin, PARMENTINE Group’s marketing and development director explains: “This sorting and grading system is very sophisticated. The high-resolution cameras, which take 40 images of each potato, allow ultra-precise grading and homogeneous batches for packaging. This assures quality and customer satisfaction. The packaging is smaller than it used to be and we also pack it into microwaveable pouches. This means, more than ever, that a high degree of consistency is necessary, and allows consumers to follow recipe suggestions.”
