Food Manufacturer Improves Yields 5% With Installation Of Steam Peeler Equipment

Hata Foods is a subsidiary of the Kobe Bussan Group which manufactures frozen foods, chilled side dishes and PET-bottle products such as salad dressings and sauces.

Hata Foods has a popular product line which highlights the flavor of Japanese domestic potatoes, also known as 'Potato Salad Bases'. To help with production of this line, Hata installed a TOMRA Orbit 150 steam peeler, brusher, washer, and a TOMRA Genius B1200 sorting machine. The company's CEO Toshiyuki Hata discusses what kind of impact these changes have had.

"Improved yields of approximately 5% from installing the Orbit 150 Steam Peeler."

“We are very satisfied with this result. Because high pressure steam creates a 0.5 ~ 1.0 mm thick heat ring around the surface of the potato, there is less hardening of the potato’s raw material. Also, improved food texture has led to an increase in sales."

An additional bonus is that the machinery has excellent operability. When using the equipment, the operator only has to deal with two main display panels. This now means that anyone can operate the peeler with confidence. On top of that, even though the machinery is manufactured overseas, all operation options are displayed in Japanese, which makes it very easy for us to use."