A Shortage of Potatoes for Chips? Time to re-evaluate your cutting solutions, says FAM

Brent Bucks, R&D Director for industrial cutting machines producer FAM, explains how potato chips processors can increase revenues despite the low quality crop

September 05, 2018

Source

FAM

If you are active in the potato sector in Northern Europe, you are probably closely following the commotion on the impact of the warm and dry summer on the potato crop.

But surely there must be more you can do than just wait and hope for the best?

According to Brent Bucks, there is.

Brent Bucks is R&D Director at FAM, market leader in industrial cutting machines and supplier of a complete range of solutions for the cutting of potato chips.

Growers and everyone involved in the potato industry are wondering how much damage the crop sustained due to the heat and dry weather this summer.

Every drop of rain is welcomed as they are hoping that the changing weather will result in some additional volume, so that the worst problems can be avoided.

Brent Bucks, R&D Director at FAM:

“The drought seems to be causing a potato shortage that cannot be countered by the stocks of older potatoes.”

“And the quality of the potatoes that are available is less than optimum: a rougher skin and smaller potatoes are to be expected.”

“Relaxing quality standards between growers and the processing industry is currently suggested as the best solution by associations for the potato trade and processing industry in Northern Europe.”

“But that means that potato chips processors should start taking measurements.”

By re-evaluating the cutting solutions they currently use, for instance.

Brent Bucks:

“The FAM Centris product line for the centrifugal slicing of potato chips, consists of cutting solutions especially designed for smaller potatoes.”

“The wings on the DualStage impeller have been angled to grab and hold even the smallest potato.”

“This does not only keep the potato free of shifting at all times, it also increases the capacity without sacrificing quality.”

Another important component of the Centris product line, is the SureSet 16 cutting head.

Up to 50% less scrap produced by slicing

(Click to enlarge)

The FAM Centris SureSet 16 Cutting Head delivers better quality and more capacity

The SureSet 16 cutting head has been tried and tested by FAM's customers since 2015. The results speak for themselves: by using our patented line, our test customers save money because they witness:

Up to 50% less scrap produced by slicing
Up to 30% less starch loss
Nearly no tapered slices
No thick cap ends
Reduced oil uptake
Reduced labor cost
Proven lifetime of 12-24 hours (for FAM's in-house produced quality knives)
4 times more capacity than with the current system with 8 knives

Brent Bucks:

“It is the result of extensive R&D and adjustments based on feedback by customers. The results we see on the market surprised not only our customers, but also ourselves.”

“In combination with the DualStage impeller, customers witness up to 50% less scrap during slicing, up to 30% less starch loss, nearly no tapered slices, no thick end caps, reduced oil uptake and reduced labor cost.”

“This results in higher slice efficiency, even with lower quality and smaller potatoes.”

The user-friendly SureSet 16 cutting head and DualStage impeller fit on all common brands of centrifugal slicing machines.

More information can be found at https://centris.solutions.