Head of TOMRA SORTING FOOD reveals reason for positive year-to-date business performance

TOMRA Sorting Food has announced that its performance has been ‘positive’ for the first nine months of the year. The leading food sorting systems manufacturer says it is reaping the combined benefits of the successful launch of a number of new products and its continued investment in research and development (R&D). Commenting on the performance, Ashley Hunter, head of TOMRA Sorting Food, says: “The momentum of our food business has been positive throughout the year. I am pleased with our performance and especially proud of the passion, work ethic and drive of our employees, partners and stakeholders around the world. “TOMRA Sorting Food’s ongoing success has been driven by all of our new products - including Blizzard, Nimbus BSI and Sentinel II – being very well received by new and existing customers. Our biometric signature identification (BSI) technology, which has long been used by TOMRA’s recycling business, has also been an excellent addition to our portfolio enabling us to lead the industry in nut sorting. “We are excited about the technology advancements made by our R&D team this year, and are looking forward to launching further sorting innovations with additional customer benefits in 2016.” Regarding performance in international markets, Ashley says that TOMRA Sorting Food is continuing to expand its presence in the Middle East, China, Southeast Asia and India. Ashley continues: “Population growth, increased food safety and quality demands in developing countries, as well as an increased desire for convenience food, mean a greater requirement for our sorting machines and technologies in these regions. “A good example of this is the Chinese government’s announcement regarding its focus on the country’s food supply system which will review automation, technologies and safety. In India, for example, we are seeing the development of the refrigerated food supply chain and the related increase in demand for frozen food. “This creates opportunities for our Blizzard machine in the individually quick frozen vegetable and fruit processing market. “We anticipate growth in developing countries as these above mentioned demand factors are aligned with us expanding from a lower base in these territories.” TOMRA Sorting Food also aims to capitalise on a variety of global trends which further increase demand for its products in developed and developing nations. “There is a worldwide requirement for improved food safety and robust traceability systems. Finite water and land resources, combined with an ever increasing population, mean we must obtain greater yields from our natural resources, including food,” says Ashley. “Labor scarcity in both developed and developing countries, where people either do not want to undertake food processing work or move away from rural agricultural areas to cities, also presents us with opportunities to introduce our machines. “Advancements in technology mean that the use of satellite imagery and real-time data will increasingly be utilised to enhance the efficiency of the journey from field to fork. We are constantly evaluating ways to utilise these trends and technologies to the benefit of our customers and the environment.” The business recognises that the global marketplaces it serves are not without challenges, with a number of political and economic situations requiring particular attention. Ashley concludes: “Russia’s continued food sanctions on the West, Greece’s economic crisis and China’s recent market instability all bring their distinct set of issues which we must address. We do this by remaining agile and responsive to market and territory conditions. There are always opportunities to be identified within these situations and we will continue to seek them out for the benefit of our customers. “There are a variety of opportunities and challenges for us to face for the rest of this year and beyond into 2016. We are well equipped to deal with both scenarios and the team at TOMRA will continue to deliver our promise of leading the resource revolution in food.” About TOMRA Sorting FoodTOMRA Sorting Food, formerly BEST and ODENBERG, designs and manufactures sensor-based sorting machines for the food industry. Over 9,000 systems are installed at food growers, packers and processers worldwide. The company provides high-performance optical sorters, graders, peeling and process analytics systems for nuts and seeds, dried fruits, potato products, fruits, vegetables, meat and seafood. The systems ensure an optimal quality and yield, resulting in increased productivity, throughput and an effective use of resources. TOMRA Sorting Food is part of TOMRA Sorting Solutions which also develops sensor-based systems for the recycling, mining and other industries. This powerful combination of technologies makes TOMRA Sorting one of the most advanced providers of sensor-based sorting solutions in the world, with over 14,000 of its systems installed globally. TOMRA Sorting is owned by Norwegian company TOMRA Systems ASA, which is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange. Founded in 1972, TOMRA Systems ASA has a turnover around €550m and employs over 2,400 people. For more information on TOMRA Sorting Food visit www.tomra.com/food