Page 7 - AWA Vol.42-No3

FOOd PrOCeSSING TeChNOlOGy ANd eQuIPMeNT

PASS is configured as a chute-fed Akorn Technology readies for expansion in Africa
sorter designed to identify and remove
Akorn Technology, the innovator in all-
FM during final quality inspection. natural coatings and postharvest treat-
Capable of sorting virtually any vege- ments for fresh fruits and vegetables,
table including slices, dices and med- is expanding across the Global South
leys, it can also detect product defects with the launch of a new venture in the
when sorting single-product runs. Op- UAE, following the company’s recent
tional high-powered ejectors provide win of the UAE FoodTech Challenge.
the force needed to remove dense or Chosen from an initial 1,215 submis-
heavy contaminants, including chunks sions from some 113 countries, Akorn gory of natural post-harvest protection
that complements existing infrastruc-
of ice, while maintaining precise con- was able to demonstrate that its 100% ture while unlocking measurable value
trol to minimize false rejects. natural post-harvest treatments dra- throughout the supply chain.”
matically reduce supply chain losses
COMPASS enables faster change- across a broad range of fruits and Zografos added: ”For investors, this
overs and seamless transitions be- vegetables, creating economic value is a rare opportunity: a platform that's
tween SKUs through recipe-driven throughout the supply chain while sus- commercially ready with significant
programming accessed via an intuitive taining Akorn’s own profitable growth. early traction, addresses an enormous
touchscreen user interface (UI). Select- Significantly, the win is accompanied $20+ billion market, and meets grow-
ing a recipe automatically adjusts sort by substantial financial and techno- ing demand for clean-label, sustain-
parameters, eliminating manual recal- logical support to develop and scale able solutions — with a clear path to
global adoption."
ibration and reducing operator inter- solutions through the UAE’s world-class
vention. New product recipes can be innovation ecosystem. Akorn’s new Cross-continental validation
tuned directly within the UI using pro- venture in the Emirates will be focused Akron has embraced an open inno-
duct-specific recipe templates without on turning locally-generated agricul- vation approach, actively collaborat-
the need for an application engineer tural and other food waste streams into ing with leading academic institutions
value, and bringing advanced all-natu-
or Key service technician, giving pro- ral post-harvest solutions to the Global located near key growing regions to
cessors greater independence as pro- South – reducing losses, extending ensure its solutions are rigorously val-
duction requirements shift. This rec- freshness, and strengthening food se- idated under real-world conditions.
ipe-template-driven approach helps curity. Through close collaboration with aca-
demic partners such as the University of
maintain repeatable sorting perfor- Anthony Zografos, Ph.D, Akorn’s Florida, UNIVASF, the National Agrarian
mance and reduces training require- Founder and CEO, said: “What sets University – La Molina in Lima, Peru, the
ments, helping processors respond Akorn apart is simple: we're not an- Technical University of Crete, and Col-
faster to changing demand. other synthetic coating or chemical orado State University, among others,
fungicide. Our solutions are made from the company generates region-specific
COMPASS was developed with an
100% natural, food-grade materials performance data that is scientifically
open, washdown-ready hygienic de- — many sourced from upcycled ag- robust and directly relevant to growers.
sign for harsh vegetable processing ricultural byproducts — yet they de-
environments, with clear access to liver broad, multi-functional protection These independent studies confirm a
cameras and lighting for faster clean- across the entire post-harvest chain, as reduction in spoilage during cold stor-
age and transit by 50% for most crops.
ing and protected internal compo- well as superior results compared to Shelf life is extended from four days to
nents for reliable operation. It comes existing options. eight, and mango shelf life from eight
equipped with Key Discovery, an ana- “We offer both storage coatings that days to over 15. Finally, Akorn’s new-
lytics and reporting software that col- protect quality during long transit and est solution, an all-natural fungicidal
lects, analyzes and shares data that can cold storage, and market coatings that coating reduces green and blue mold
be used to reveal trends in yield, reject preserve appearance and freshness at on citrus by more than 90% with abso-
rates, raw material variability and up- retail. From controlling fungal decay lutely no chemicals used.
stream performance. in citrus, stone fruit and mangos, to re- Akorn CCO and Co-Founder, Xander
ducing superficial scald in apples and
COMPASS features a modular design pears, to stabilizing highly perishable Shapiro, said: “We calculate there’s a
$5-$10 profit increase per $1 invested
and is available in multiple sizes to crops like avocados, a single adaptable in Akorn solutions. Akorn products en-
satisfy a wide variety of customer ap- platform replaces multiple chemistries. hance profitability not only by reduc-
plications and capacity requirements. "For partners, that means fewer inputs, ing waste and lowering costs, but also
Key supports its customers worldwide fewer regulatory hurdles, and a cost-ef- by unlocking access to distant export
through an extensive sales network fective, clean-label way to extend shelf and premium markets through the con-
and its global service team. life and reduce waste across diverse sistent delivery of the highest-quality
commodities. We see this as a new cate- long-lasting produce.” Circle 5 on enquiry card
Circle 4 on enquiry card
Vol. 42 No. 3 5