Freshly cut fruit, offered in all sorts and sizes, is a growing market. Fruit salads, snack fruit at the gas station: there is a wide range of products. Most of the demand for cutting machines for fruit doesn’t come from suppliers of fruit salads for now, but from industry. The market for freshly cut fruit is still (too) small, and the machine builders still see challenges, for instance when it comes to quality. We asked two companies, Marcelissen and Murre Techniek, about their experiences and the developments they’re seeing.
“We’re seeing that the rise of convenience is causing more demand for machines,” says Bob Treuen of Marcelissen. “Health and convenience play a big part. It used to be that only potatoes were cut into sticks, for instance. Now products like rhubarb, carrots and celery are also offered in sticks. Local products are also offered more in smaller packages.”
“From the fruit processing companies, demand for machines is increasing,” says Bastiaan Hoogerland of Murre Techniek. “Thanks to the growth of the whole pre-cut range, demand for peeling and cutting machines specifically for fruit is also increasing.”
Manual vs machines
There are plenty of machines available to supply all the products in cut form. There’s a lot of choice for industrial processors in particular. Hulling strawberries, separating grapes and peeling kiwis can all be done mechanically. Bob sums up the possibilities as follows: “All mass products are doable. It’s impossible to do mushrooms because the texture is too soft, and cheese is too sticky. They require a different approach, like other delicate products, but everything in between can be cut by machine.”
Still, many companies that supply a lot of fruit salads and freshly cut fruit, still report opting for manual a lot. Understandable, Bob thinks: “When you choose a machine, you hand over control. If you work with your hands and use your head, you can cut a product exactly the way you want to. A machine can only approach that. The consideration to use a machine becomes a matter of cost. In other words, quality versus quantity.”
“Fruit is and remains a sensitive product. If you deal with the fruit too harshly, the quality goes down. By adjusting the machines correctly, you get the best result,” Bastiaan says. “With innovations, we are able to improve the quality of the peeled and cut product, and extend the shelf life of the products.” For instance, by using the thinnest knives possible, apples don’t turn brown as quickly.
