Sustainable peeling: savings on both sides of the blade
European vegetable and potato processors are facing challenges on two fronts simultaneously. On one hand, the EU Green Deal and CSRD reporting obligations are raising the bar for sustainability, and fast. On the other hand, rising energy prices and increasing water scarcity in key growing regions mean that every kilowatt-hour and cubic metre of water directly affects the bottom line.
For production managers and operations leaders, this creates a clear imperative: sustainability and cost efficiency are no longer separate objectives. They are two sides of the same coin.
In this article, we explain why root vegetable processing in particular offers significant opportunities for improvement on both fronts.
Why root vegetables deserve special attention
Root vegetables are a demanding product group. Beetroot, carrots, celeriac, parsnip, kohlrabi, each has its own peeling characteristics, density and shape. A beetroot behaves very differently in a scraper than a slender baby carrot. Celeriac requires a completely different approach than kohlrabi.
Processors relying on generic machinery that is not tailored to their specific product pay a hidden price:
Running longer than necessary to achieve an incomplete peel result
Peeling too deep due to a lack of precision
Using equipment not designed to handle variation in incoming produce
The result: higher energy consumption, excessive water use and, perhaps the most underestimated problem of all, product loss. Costs that never appear on a single invoice, but erode margins week after week.
Energy efficiency starts with machine design
Energy savings do not start with a switch. They start with the design choices made before a machine ever leaves the factory floor. For over 70 years, we have been building machines specifically developed around the characteristics of the products they process, and the difference shows in practice.
Our Drum Blade Peeler (SMT) is a prime example. The machine features stainless steel blade bars forming a stable rotating drum, delivering consistent and complete peeling at low speeds. Its maintenance-friendly design allows blade bars and blades to be removed or replaced quickly, keeping downtime to a minimum. With capacities up to 10,000 kg per hour and fully custom-built to each customer's specifications, the SMT is designed to perform.
Beyond the machine itself, a range of design choices contribute to lower energy consumption per tonne of processed product:
Efficient drives with intelligent speed control
Frequency inverters ensuring motors only draw the power they actually need
Optimised product flow to prevent unnecessary standstill or double processing
Adjustable peeling depth and process intensity, removing only what needs to be removed
The principle is simple: exactly what the product needs, nothing more.
Using water more intelligently
Water is one of the largest consumers in vegetable processing. In traditional lines, it tends to be treated as a given, rinse generously, transport continuously, recover nothing. That approach is not only costly, but also a growing business risk in regions where drought and water scarcity are becoming more frequent.
We address this by designing processes that are smarter and more efficient from the ground up:
Controlled water dosing matched to the actual product load
Efficient spray and recirculation systems that reduce fresh water consumption
Mechanical cleaning techniques that require less water overall
Optimised drum and brush technologies for more effective soil removal
Smart line integration to avoid unnecessary washing cycles
In every project, we increasingly look for tailored solutions that optimise water consumption, contamination levels and processing capacity in a single integrated approach.
Product loss: the invisible drain on margins
Product loss is one of the most overlooked cost factors in processing facilities. In traditional repeel operations, peel loss often runs between 25 and 30 percent. With modern techniques and adjustable processes, such as our Trough Brush Machine solutions, that loss can be reduced to as low as 5 to 10 percent for certain product types. Particularly with higher-value raw materials or thin-skinned produce, that difference has a significant financial impact.
Product loss typically occurs when peeling is too aggressive or when produce passes through the process more times than necessary. Our machines address this by:
Peeling with precision and full process control
Guiding produce evenly and consistently through the machine
Fine-tuning repeel processes to suit the product type and season
Minimising physical damage during transport and processing
The underlying principle never changes: maximise yield from every raw material with the least possible waste of product, energy and water.
More than supplying a machine, thinking along with your process
A more sustainable processing line is not achieved by replacing a single machine. It requires an integrated approach that takes a hard look at the entire process. Where is energy being wasted? Where is water being lost? Where does product loss occur?
That is exactly how we work. Not as a supplier that delivers a machine and moves on, but as a partner that thinks along with your operation. In close collaboration with our customers, we analyse the existing situation: incoming product flows, bottlenecks and energy data. From that analysis, we design a line that fits the specific context, including the data insights increasingly required for CSRD reporting and internal performance management.
A machine that saves five percent on energy is an improvement. But an integrated line that recycles water, reduces product loss and generates the data you need for your sustainability reporting is an investment that pays for itself.
Sustainability and profitability go hand in hand
Sustainable root vegetable processing is not a future ambition. It is an operational and economic necessity that is becoming more urgent by the day, driven by regulation, rising costs and increasingly strict demands from buyers and retailers.
We believe that processors investing in precision technology today are building a competitive advantage that will only grow in value over the years ahead. And we are here to help them do it, from the first conversation to the integrated line that delivers, year after year.
Curious what an optimised processing line could mean for your operation? Get in touch with us or explore one of our customer cases for real-world examples.
