May/June 2022 - 18

PROFILES
TOVE ANDERSEN
" The most
successful companies
in the future will be the
companies that value
diversity. "
- TOVE ANDERSEN, CEO OF TOMRA
TOMRA expands 5C sorter
for frozen vegetables
In 2020, TOMRA Food launched its 5C series sorter designed specifically for
dried fruit and nuts. Now, that technology is available for frozen vegetables.
TOMRA unveiled its 5C premium sorting machine at Fruit Logistica in
Berlin in April. It features the company's unique biometric identification
technology.
By locating the TOMRA 5C on the processing line between the individual
quick freezing (IQF) tunnel and the packing station, final checks for food
safety and product quality can be made with unrivaled accuracy. As the
frozen product reaches the end of the line for bagging, the sorter recognizes
and removes any remaining foreign material, extraneous vegetable matter
(EVM), and hard-to-detect product defects, such as stems and stalks
with green beans and nightshade with peas. These detection capabilities
significantly reduce the risks of consumer complaints or product recalls -
already a vital requirement, and one that is harder to meet with organically
grown fruit and vegetables, which typically get delivered to processing lines
containing more unwanted materials such as insects, rodents and EVM.
Compared to TOMRA's predecessor - the Nimbus BSI - the new 5C
machine further enhances sorting efficiency and yields, is easier to keep
running and has a more hygienic design, which reduces cleaning time
by about 35% compared to the Nimbus. The 5C also has a 5-10% greater
capacity than the Nimbus.
The TOMRA 5C was first introduced in 2020 to sort dried fruit and
nuts but was designed from the outset for many different applications,
including IQF vegetables and fruit. This machine is now being made
available for IQF lines following tests with one major IQF vegetables
processor in the U.S. and another in Europe. Validation was conducted
over an intensive six-week period, with the machines working for two or
more shifts per day and sorting four to five tons of product every hour.
Sorting performance was assessed with more than 20 different types of
vegetables: mono and mixed.
The trials showed consistently excellent results - even with vegetables
that are traditionally difficult to sort, such as white cauliflower, and even
when looking for foreign materials that are difficult to detect, such as
nightshade mixed in with peas.
18 MAY/JUNE 2 0 2 2
3
What do you think the
biggest challenges are
for women to advance into
leadership roles?
I have been fortunate to have (male)
leaders encouraging and supporting me
throughout my career. However, there
are still many who do not get that same
support, and discrimination still exists.
It's important that we acknowledge this
- that still in many regions and sectors
we don't have equal opportunities,
whether that's for gender, color or
other factors. Companies need to take
a proactive role in driving diversity,
equality, and inclusion. The most
successful companies in the future will
be the companies that value diversity.
They will attract the best talents and
keep them, and they will develop the
most innovative solutions. We are
not where we want to be on diversity
at TOMRA, but we will continue to
focus on this as an essential part of
our strategy going forward.
4
Any advice for young people?
Find a job you really like; you
will never excel in something
you don't enjoy, and you need to excel
if you are to progress in your career.
You need to deliver above expectations,
so go beyond what is required. Don't
be afraid to be ambitious. I believe
companies like TOMRA hold the key to
solve the global challenges of climate
change, food security and pollution.
We need ambitious leaders at all levels
in these companies, leaders who want
to make a difference.
May/June 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of May/June 2022
