Sticky and delicate, Medjool dates have long been a headache for automation specialists, but France’s MAF Roda says its new sorter ticks all the boxes
For the last three years, MAF Roda has been working hard to perfect its first sorter and sizer for dates, complete with Plumone P50, Datescan and Insight technology.
“We are now ready to promote it,” says the company’s Fabrice Blanc. “We have installed the first units, two in Israel and testing one in the US, getting feedback in real-world conditions in order to ensure the machine grades and sorts with perfection and ease.”
Demand for the sweet, sticky fruit has been growing strongly in Europe and North America, following the trend for healthy snacking options, as have calls for a grader that is up to the job. Dates have traditionally been dependent on manual processes to handle the delicate fruit.
Thanks to its advanced optical sorting technology, MAF Roda offers unprecedented precision in external and internal quality control of the dates. The solution is based on the combination of the Plumone P50 grading machine, Datescan and Insight technologies. The external quality control detects visible defects, such as skin detachment or dried-out crowns, with a high degree of accuracy and the flexibility to adjust to market requirements. The Insight internal quality control technology analyses each fruit non-destructively, measuring the moisture content and detecting the presence of internal fungus.
“Thanks to this internal analysis, our solution provides an accurate division of the dates into three categories: too wet, ready to pack, and too dry,” explains Vincent Boulbès. “It helps to avoid losses, as discarded fruits can be recycled by being rewetted or dried to bring them back up to the right standard. This precise humidity management allows operators to improve the quality and value of each batch.”
For consumers, the stickiness may be key to the allure, but for sorting machines it can be a major issue. This is where the MAF grader’s high pressure cleaning system and stainless steel design come in handy, allowing the operator to clean and maintain the machine with ease.
The sorter physically weighs the dates, as opposed to competing machines that optically estimate the fruit’s weight. This is a major asset for dates packers which need to meet homogeneous product requirements concerning size and length for a given weight, especially for premium markets.
The group also showcased its new asparagus grader at Fruit Logistica in Berlin, marking its entry into another new category. “With this addition, the company extends its reach to another commodity characterised by high commercial requirements and growing demand for automated solutions,” the company said.
The integration of AI across all the company’s electronic sorting systems enables higher levels of accuracy in detecting both external and internal defects, positioning MAF Roda as one of the most advanced players in the industry in terms of intelligent automation.
