JBT will be showcasing a range of cutting-edge coatings and post-harvest solutions – including the recently-released, extended shelf-life plant-based coating for pineapples – as well as innovative packaging and processing solutions at Fruit Logistica 2022, the annual showcase for the globe’s fresh produce sector that takes place in Berlin, Germany from 5-7 April.

Not only this, JBT will also be highlighting its soon-to-be-inaugurated facility for Fresh Produce Technologies (FPT) and pilot plant in Murcia, Spain; a major step forward for JBT in the European market which will bring JBT solutions and support closer to customers.

 

Coating innovations
Speaking ahead of the Berlin show, JBT’s Global Produce Line Director for FPT, John Siddle, says the JBT booth will showcase best-in-class preservation and post-harvest equipment solutions, including coatings and decay-control. “A real highlight for this year will be the new JBT Sta-Fresh® 2952 plant-based coating for pineapples, which works better for long-trade transit than anything we have seen in the industry,” says Siddle.

“The problem with making a coating out of a natural base is the inherent variability of the raw materials and how to develop a more consistent, easy-to-apply coating. Our product is certified bio-degradable in Costa Rica, plant-based, offers superior dehydration control and keeps pineapples fresher for longer for long-trade transit.”

Such an ability, Siddle continues, is hugely important when it comes to shipping pineapples from Costa Rica or other Latin American countries to Europe or the Middle East, particularly as the coating will keep products fresh for more than 45 days in a refrigerated container. “People who use JBT coatings, use them because they are going to hold up best over transit,” he adds.

Versatile solutions
Also present will be JBT Proseal, the renowned tray sealing and packaging line specialist, which will be showcasing a range of its solutions tailored for fresh produce. As well as exhibiting its automatic in-line GT4s tray sealing machine, Proseal will be highlighting the recently launched CP3™ fully automatic case packing system. Together with a linking conveyor, the CP3 will demonstrate the versatility of Proseal’s machine portfolio and how its equipment can be easily integrated as part of a fully automatic production line. In addition, Proseal will demonstrate its advanced Ewon system that enables operators to view from any remote location a tray sealing machine’s live operating speeds, along with comprehensive information on other line performance factors.

One of the newest arrivals to the JBT family, AutoCoding Systems, will also be on hand at the event to explain its unique skillset. To make sure correct labelling and coding is applied to packaging every time, AutoCoding’s process acts as a “virtual assistant” to line operators, all but eliminate the danger of misprinting, miscoding and missed QA checks.

Further adding to the mix, JBT FTNON is a company with more than 50 years’ experience in providing innovative and reliable turnkey solutions for fresh cut processors. With ready-to-eat produce sales growing worldwide, FTNON delivers solutions that combine maximum yield and efficiency with increasing automation, such as the new CoreTaker® Flex robot (pictured below).

New Spain-based facility
To better serve customers across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, JBT is currently in the final stages of completing a new state-of-the-art facility in Fortuna, Spain, in the country’s Murcia region. Proving that sustainability is now at the core of everything does, the facility – comprising FPT resources and a brand new pilot plant – which will radically reduce the transit time for delivery of JBT solutions to customers across the region. The site will also enable JBT to ensure even better ongoing support in the form of PRoCARE service agreements. Finding increasing popularity among customers, PRoCARE focuses on resolving production issues before they become problems to keep facilities running, year-round.

JBT will exhibiting in Hall 3.1, Stand C-05 and JBT Proseal in Hall 3.1, Stand A-04 at Fruit Logistica 2022, which takes place in Berlin, Germany from 5-7 April, 2022.

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