News on Optical Sorters

Flikweert Vision introduces its upgraded QualityGrader to North America at IFPA 2026, featuring AI-powered sorting, up to 30 tonnes per hour capacity, flexible configurations and improved quality inspection for potatoes and onions.

Eagle Eye Produce has completed a new red and yellow potato packing facility in Idaho Falls, adding automation and AI-powered optical grading to improve efficiency, quality and flexibility while supporting program growth.

Ellips will showcase four AI-powered potato and onion grading solutions at the Global Produce & Floral Show 2026 in Orlando, highlighting automation, labor savings, defect detection, higher throughput, CombiGrader and CleanFlow Pre-Sorter.

Ellips’ Elisam CombiGrader grades potatoes and onions on one compact line, switching between crops within seconds. True-AI and light transmittance technology detect internal and external defects at up to 15 t/h, with a 15-meter footprint.

The new QualityGrader builds on years of experience with hundreds of machines worldwide. With improved flexibility, capacity, serviceability and AI sorting, it delivers smarter optical quality control for today’s and tomorrow’s needs.

Ellips introduces the CleanFlow Pre-Sorter, using True-AI to remove stones, clods and defects before potato and onion storage or grading, handling up to 120 t/h while reducing equipment wear, storage losses and manual labour.

Haith and GRIMME will co-exhibit for the first time at PotatoEurope 2026 in Springe, Germany, presenting complementary solutions spanning potato planting, harvesting, post-harvest handling, washing, grading and packing.

Optimum Sorting's laser technology detects hidden defects, foreign materials, wet centers, soft rot and solanine in potatoes, fries and chips, delivering high-precision sorting with 0.3 mm resolution and up to 3,333 scans per second.

Ellips will present five True-AI grading solutions at Potato Europe 2026, September 9–10 in Springe, Germany, addressing labor shortages, quality demands and capacity challenges in potato and onion grading.

Flikweert Vision says its AI-powered QualityGrader helps potato and onion processors cut labour costs boost processing capacity by 10–20% reduce unnecessary rejects and improve batch insights with VisionCore for faster ROI.

Jensma Agro installed two Optica Q optical sorters to grade 30 t/h of seed potatoes with less labour. The system cuts manual inspection, improves efficiency, increases capacity and supports future growth, with minor software improvements planned.

DTS and MTS Foods combine process-engineering expertise with regional customer coordination across India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Flikweert Vision delivered six upgraded QualityGrader optical sorting machines for a modern onion sorting line. The enhanced platform features improved software, remote service, reliability and sorting performance for efficient grading.

European potato processors are prioritizing automation, resource use and flexible equipment as labour shortages, energy costs, climate risks and competition increase. Wyma highlights technologies help improve yields and resilience for future growth.

Advanced post-harvest technologies are helping cut food waste, reduce carbon emissions, improve storage efficiency, and strengthen sustainable food supply chains through AI, IoT, precision sorting, renewable energy, and smart cold storage solutions.

Record-breaking early-summer temperatures and low soil moisture are increasing variability in Europe's 2026 potato crop. Wyma Solutions highlights post-harvest solutions to help processors manage quality, efficiency and throughput.

Insort will preview Sherlock Belt Compact at SNACKEX 2026. The new sorting platform uses in-flight inspection, 4K RGB imaging and AI-powered deep learning to improve defect detection, reduce yield loss and increase sorting efficiency.

Klaas van de Poppe has been appointed CEO of Eqraft, effective May 1, 2026. He succeeds Marcel Kampes and will lead the company's next phase of global growth, innovation, and customer-focused solutions for potato and onion processing.