Automation to reduce manual labour in iceberg lettuce processing

Coring iceberg lettuce is a key step in obtaining a uniform product before cutting and incorporating it into salads and other ready-to-eat products. When carried out manually, the process involves removing the outer leaves, fully extracting the tough core and inspecting each head, making it difficult to maintain consistent performance on high-volume lines.

Natures Way Foods, a UK manufacturer of fresh prepared foods, has partially automated this process at its Runcton site in Chichester by installing OptiCor, Sormac's technology for coring and cutting iceberg lettuce.

The facility mainly produces mixed-leaf products for the foodservice sector, as well as a large proportion of the shredded lettuce supplied to a major UK quick-service restaurant chain. Production volumes reach several million iceberg heads per week and almost double during peak months.

From eight to two operators per line

Before the process was automated, a team of eight people was responsible for removing the outer leaves, following a set coring pattern and manually inspecting each lettuce.

In addition to the associated labour costs, the company faced difficulties recruiting and retaining a reliable workforce for a repetitive task carried out at large scale. Following the introduction of semi-automated systems, staffing requirements have fallen to two operators per line.

Brett Beveridge, Engineering Director at Natures Way Foods, explains that the investment has strengthened the technological capability of the site and contributed to improving the profitability of the operation.

The system does not remove human involvement entirely, but shifts the role of staff towards feeding, supervising and monitoring the process, reducing dependence on fully manual coring.

Artificial vision adapts the cut to each lettuce

OptiCor uses vision technology to analyse each lettuce individually and adjust the coring process to the characteristics of each head. The aim is to remove the core accurately while avoiding unnecessary loss of usable product, improving both consistency and raw material yield.

The machine processes lettuce heads between 90 and 220 mm in diameter and can achieve a maximum capacity of 2,100 pieces per hour. In addition to coring, it can cut the lettuce into two or four sections when required by the next stage of production.

Natures Way Foods also valued its compact footprint, ease of use and straightforward cleaning, all of which are particularly relevant in facilities where available space and frequent production changes influence machinery selection.

Trials and adaptation to the production line

Before purchasing the equipment, Sormac allowed Natures Way Foods to trial the machine under production conditions. During this phase, the operational team identified several specific requirements and shared its feedback with the manufacturer.

The two companies then worked together to design and test new features aimed at adapting the system, improving reliability and achieving the throughput required by the site. After assessing the first unit in production, Natures Way Foods purchased a further three machines.

"Sormac allowed us to trial the machine to make sure it was suitable for our application and worked with us on the improvements we needed," Beveridge explains.

The experience shows how automating the coring process can help absorb seasonal fluctuations in volume, reduce manual tasks and deliver greater consistency in iceberg lettuce processing. In ready-to-eat production lines, these factors directly influence production continuity, raw material utilisation and cut uniformity.

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