Potato Processor Kadi lowers energy use with TOMRA Eco steam peeler

Potato Processor Kadi lowers energy use with TOMRA Eco steam peeler
December 08, 2014

Since 1951 Kadi has been an innovative manufacturer of potato products and other frozen foods for the Swiss foodservice. Enthusiastic chefs create from day to day the favorite dishes of the Swiss people. It goes without saying that in Kadi’s strive for consistent quality management they use the latest technologies and that’s where TOMRA comes in the picture.

Due to excessive maintenance costs Kadi looked for a new steam peeler. They offered multiple companies the opportunity to present their range of steam peeling solutions. TOMRA’s Eco steam peeler was the only one that met the specific expectations of Kadi. The company works with one production line upon which they process most of their food products: from express fries, French fries, rösti and frozen potatoes. Therefore it was a must have for Kadi to be able to continue processing like this.

“For us, quality means the optimal combination of long tried and tested recipes, carefully grown and selected raw materials and the use of the latest technologies”, says Peter Büeler

High quality

“TOMRA inspected our processing line to see where it could be improved. Although it was already delivering a very high quality TOMRA recommended the Eco steam peeler, a steam accumulator, the dry peel separator (DPS) and a new barrel washer. The objective was to provide us with the technology and tools to enable us to optimize the performance of the line even further for each size of potato and each end product”, clarifies Büeler.

TOMRA's eco peeler at Kadi, installed in 2014

TOMRA's eco peeler at Kadi, installed in 2014

Lower energy usage by up to 25%

TOMRA’s Eco steam peeler is specifically designed to lower energy usage by up to 25 per cent (worth around € 50,000 to € 80,000 per year depending on local energy costs).

“We are very pleased with TOMRA’s Eco steam peeler and we notice that our steam consumption, water usage and maintenance costs are significantly lower than in the past. It’s nice to see that these expenses have dropped considerably. We also see that our peel loss has dropped noticeably”, clarifies Büeler.

Easy-to-use user interface

Büeler explains that another advantage of working with the Eco steam peeler is the easy-to-use user interface. “Due to the user-friendliness of the user interface we are really in control of our business. We insist on continuous training for our personnel so that they are able to optimally operate the steam peeling machine. We receive a lot of guidance and assistance from TOMRA here as well. They provide us nonstop with tips and tricks to get the most out of the steam peeling machine”, states Büeler.

Kadi is one of the 3 large suppliers of potato products and frozen foods on the Swiss territory. Abroad they mainly deliver to retail customers.

“For the Kadi Swiss products, we focus on selected farmers from several regions of Switzerland. We guarantee high quality of products. We also strengthen local agriculture and safeguard jobs in the regions. Delivering an indisputable high quality food product is vital for Kadi. Since 1995 we obtained the 9001 certificate with the process-oriented quality management system EN ISO: 2000 certified. But even more important for the food industry is the British Retail Consortium Certification (BRC) which we obtained in 2004. Our customers rely on us and we in our turn rely on TOMRA”, tells Büeler.

Reference visit

“That’s why we emphasized from the beginning that working with us should mean that we have an open relationship in which all the data/diagnostics are mutually shared”, adds Büeler. Anyone who’s interested in TOMRA’s Eco steam peeler is free to contact us for a reference visit.