Vezet chooses FAM cutting solutions

35,000 kg of iceberg lettuce, 150,000 kg of leek, 100,000 kg of red bell peppers and no less than 250,000 kg of carrots, all processed in one week. The company Vezet BV located in Warmenhuizen is successful in processing about 1.5 million kg of product weekly. An important link in the production process is the quality of the cutting machines. The Dutch vegetable processing plant has been making use of the services of the Belgian machine builder FAM for years. How did this relationship come about?Vezet is the largest fruit and vegetable processing company in Europe. In the freshly cut fruits and vegetables sector, they are the absolute market leader. Whether it is cut lettuce, spinach, kale, escarole, stir-fry mixes, raw vegetables, vegetable soup, fruit salads, fresh salads or pizzas, Vezet produces it all. Weekly, Vezet makes over 200 different products and more than 4 million packs.VezetTo produce such impressive quantities, Vezet has obviously come a long way. About a century ago, the company was founded as ‘the Verenigde Zuurkoolfabrikanten (United Sauerkraut Manufacturers). In the 70s and 80s, the company grew rapidly, stimulated by Albert Heijn. In popular speech, it was soon called ‘the VZ’. In 1998 the name was permanently changed into 'Vezet BV'. Whereas in the early years, the product range mainly consisted of sauerkraut and salted vegetables, today Vezet is completely specialized in the fourth range. Meanwhile, we should address the company more respectfully as "The Royal Vezet", a title not so easily merited by a Dutch company. "The weekly processing of 1.5 million kg of fruit and vegetables requires quite some organizing. Therefore, Vezet surrounds itself with the best people and the best equipment to ensure/guarantee the daily delivery of crackling fresh products to the stores, "says Frans Kramer. The production of Vezet is divided in four different factories. The fruit plant, the preparation plant, the “easy cooking” plant and the “ready to serve meals” plant.The importance of production machineryThe cutting machines used by Vezet determine to a large extent the cut quality of the end product. Not only because this specific machinery has an enormous impact on, amongst others, the product shelf life, the loss of fines and juice, but also on the final shape of the product. “It is not just about the customer experience when he finds a pack of freshly cut vegetables in the shelves of his local supermarket, but also about yields. A 1 percent supplementary yield in the cutting process of thousands of kilos, obviously implies a significant profit for the company. This is why the cutting machines are such an important component in our production lines,” continues Frans Kramer. In 2010, FAM - constructor of industrial cutting machines - had the opportunity to participate in an objective and comparative market research to test its machines. Based on these in-depth tests, Vezet decided to acquire eight FAM cutting machines. The various machines can cut an entire range of products. Whereas the versatile dicers can process bell peppers, zucchini, carrots and onions, the smaller V-belt cutting machines can cut oblong products such as carrots and cucumbers. The large V-belt cutting machines on the other hand are used for leafy vegetables and all types of lettuce.Not an overnight decisionDifferent factors were thoroughly tested and analyzed. Soon it became clear that the FAM cutting machines deliver a good cut quality with a very high capacity. Additionally, the machines were designed compliant with the hygiene code (Dutch food safety regulations) and the Arbo legislation (Dutch health and safety legislation). "Machines have to be very accessible and easy to clean," says Niels van Laer of FAM. “Vezet’s final priority is the health of their employees. Therefore, FAM has developed lightweight cutting tools that are safe and easy to handle by Vezet machine operators.”PartnershipFive years after the benchmark, FAM has become Vezet’s loyal partner. "The FAM production machinery is steadily growing every year," Niels explains. "This is because the machines are a reliable partner in the production of Vezet and because after five years the machine maintenance costs prove to be very low." The partnership is quite far-reaching: service, special training to grind knives, yield enhancement, but also product development. Through their close collaboration with the FAM engineering, manufacturing and R&D departments, Vezet can assist FAM for a large part with product development. The new labs at the FAM main office in Kontich, Antwerp, will only improve this product development. "FAM is therefore very proud of the close collaboration with Vezet," Niels concludes. "We can undoubtedly say in Vezet’s case the customer really is King."