Supermarket Perimeter - June 2023 - 52

Produce: Fresh-cut
foods like root vegetables don't need any force as they're processed.
The proportions of the equipment are also designed to make it less
fatiguing process to load.
Along with the PF300i, Hobart is offering optional add-ons of a bulk
feed hopper and cylinder set ideal for round foods like onions, or a fourtube
feeder for longer foods like cucumbers and carrots.
The processor's plate speed is 500 revolutions per minute, which is
the best speed to process without bruising product.
Going forward, Hobart doesn't see any drop in demand for food
processing equipment among grocery retailers who want to do freshcut
instore, Gray said.
" Buying pre-cut, packaged product can get expensive, and supply
chain issues have made it challenging for retailers to get what they
need. The alternative of hand-cutting is time-consuming and labor
intensive and can produce inconsistent cuts. A food processor makes it
possible to have fresh, quality cut produce in an efficient way. "
Trends within fresh-cut include fresh vegetables being used in new
and different ways, Gray said. Experimenting with different shapes and
texture, for instance, can make food more interesting and fun.
But that's hard to do if you're cutting product by hand. With a food
processor, she said, the opportunities are endless, and Hobart offers a
Astra has seen
demand soar for
its fruit-peeling
machines.
wide variety of cutting tools that are up for the job.
" Operators can slice, dice, julienne, crimp, grate, shred and more.
They also have the ability to control the thickness of their cuts. "
One of the things that separates Hobart's continuous-feed food
processors from its competitors is that Hobart's utilize an exclusive
decoring screw, which pulls product into the knife and helps with
throughput, Gray said. It's the reason operators can process large
products like heads of lettuce or cabbage with little to no prep.
Hobart's bowl style food processors, meanwhile, utilize an exclusive
CoolCutter knife, which utilizes four knives: two serrated cutting
knives and two turning knives. The turning knives continuously move
product back into the cutting knives. It's ideal, Gray added, for proper
temperature control when processing.
To aid customers in their fresh-cut operations, Hobart has a Food
Processor Labor Savings Calculator on its website, where operators can
plug in what they are processing. The calculator will then tell them how
quickly the machine will pay for itself.
Hobart also has a food processor brochure available with tips on
cutting tools and food processor capacity.
past couple of years is that labor is a major challenge for retailers - and
fresh-cut fruits and vegetables is a labor-intensive business.
Utilizing food prep equipment, she said, is an easy way for grocery
stores to maximize their prep time efficiency.
The latest addition to Hobart's lineup of products used to process
fruits and vegetables and other foods is a new continuous-feed food
processor, introduced in March.
The Hobart FP300i floor model food processor can process up to 88
pounds of product per minute. The all-stainless-steel, maximum-heavyduty
machine features removable, dishwasher-safe parts and processes
fruits and vegetables without bruising. Its large cylinder eliminates the
need for pre-cutting. The new processor requires less manual labor, as
food doesn't need to be manually pre-cut to be processed, and dense
52 - JUNE 2023
Peelers: another angle on fresh-cut
Japanese manufacturer Astra Inc., which has US headquarters in
Torrance, Calif., continues to see strong demand for time- and laborsaving
fruit-peeling machines, which peel the skin off fruits faster and
better than hand peeling or ordinary peeling machines can, said Ryo
Takeshita, sales manager.
Astra recently completed a new deal with a well-known US
supermarket chain and is enjoying growth across the board among
retailers, fruit producers and fruit processors.
" These three are win-win relationships, " Takeshita said. " Supermarkets
can save costs and sell many processed fruits; fruit producers can sell
more fruits to the store; and ASTRA can sell more machines to all of
these markets. "
supermarketperimeter.com
Astra Inc.
http://www.supermarketperimeter.com
Supermarket Perimeter - June 2023

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