TOMRA success story: Hata Foods, Japan

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. Problems prior to installation“Before installing the Orbit 150, we were using a peeling machine manufactured by a different company, but this machine was becoming outdated and often stopped working. This meant that we had to deal with decreasing work efficiency and the related increased labor costs, not to mention ever diminishing yields. Also, because we were unable to sufficiently obtain replacement parts, we were faced with the risk of long periods of non-production in the unfortunate case that the machine broke down,” explains Toshiyuki Hata, CEO at Hata Foods." Background to installation“We came to know of TOMRA at the FOOMA Japan International Food Machinery and Technology Exhibition. This is where we met its sales team, who explained to us that TOMRA produced a unique steam peeler that was able to produce the world's thinnest potato peel and which would naturally lead to improved yield rates. Changes following installation“Following the installation of the steam peeler, our production yield increased by approx. 5 per cent and improved product quality. 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." Comparison with the products of other companies“When we were considering installing TOMRA’s steam peeler, we compared it with the products of other companies. We found TOMRA's features to be very attractive, including: 'throughput', 'proven results' and 'maintainability'.Full history, below: