From raw bell pepper to fresh convenience product

29/06/2021

In the autumn of 2020, Sormac installed a complete bell pepper processing line at Heemskerk fresh & easy in Rijnsburg, the Netherlands. The line processes no less than 1,500 kg bell peppers per hour. Heemskerk makes various fresh convenience products such as vegetable mixes, stuffed peppers and meal salads.

Wim Heemskerk, the son of a real vegetable family, started the Heemskerk business in 1960 with the production and sale of bags of sliced soup vegetables. In 60 years, the company has grown into a modern company that ships some 3.5 to 4 million products to national and international retail and fast food chains every week. Following the increasing demand for fresh convenience products, Heemskerk invested in a new Sormac processing line for bell peppers. For the delivery of a high-quality end product it is not only essential to produce a high-quality bell pepper, but also that the membrane and seeds are properly removed.

The bell peppers are distributed among four bell pepper decorers PO-30 by an advanced transport line. The operators manually feed the coring mechanism from the individual stock tables, upon bell peppers are cored in pairs and, if desired, cut into pieces. The vacuum unit sucks the waste out of the bell pepper, which is then collected on a separate belt and removed. The sliced bell peppers are collected on a central belt for further processing.

Sormac’s bell pepper decorer PO-30 is characterised by its simple operation, hygienic design, long blade life and, above all, a perfectly cored product that is entirely membrane- and seed-free.