Product perfection starts before the processing. It is maintained in the processing plant but only evident when the customer is satisfied and buys more. Andre Erasmus looks at some of the people who ensure that crisps, French fries and other potato products make the cut.
Water, knife or wire, the cutting of potatoes is a precise part of the production process and requires equipment that is well suited for the task at hand. This can be potato cubes, French fries or crisps, chips and wedges. Alternatively, as Tummers Food Processing Solutions has been doing for the past few years, it can be ‘themed’ shapes, which are ideal for Christmas, Easter and other occasions!
After all, consumers like to serve food that is a little bit special on such occasions. This is something that Tummers Food Processing Solutions has been quick to respond to in the potato processing industry. For over seven years, Tummers Food Processing Solutions has made cutting blocks with specially shaped blades.
After the first special shapes hit the supermarket, the demand for ‘special cut’ products increased and new creative shapes are constantly being introduced. During the hydro cutting process, potatoes are carried in water and pumped under high pressure through cutting blades, resulting in a perfectly cut end product. Any waste from this process is used in other potato processes, such as mashing, or in the production of potato flakes. In order to produce these special cuts, the existing process line is adapted and the product is cut lengthwise. The newly shaped ‘potato bar’ is then mechanically cut into slices to create the desired shape, which eventually ends up in the supermarket.
Another hydro cutting expert is Kiremko, with its range of QuadraFlow hydro cutting equipment and its Ultra Fine knife block. These achieve the highest standards in hydro cutting technology. Developed in close cooperation with several processors, this tunnel block offers less water consumption, reduced cutting velocity and a drop in power consumption. Due to the better support in a plastic block, new opportunities have been presented such as the use of thinner knives.
