Wyma highlights processing line design to extend vegetable shelf life

Preserving vegetables intended for export begins well before packaging. Processing line design influences the freshness of products when they reach the market, losses caused by deterioration and compliance with international retailers’ quality requirements. This is the focus of a guide published by Wyma Solutions on post-harvest equipment and processing.

The company explains that vegetables continue to respire after harvest, lose moisture and remain susceptible to microbial deterioration. An effective processing line must therefore minimise mechanical damage, maintain appropriate hygiene and quickly remove field heat. These factors need to be managed together, particularly when products must withstand long periods of transport and cold storage.

Careful handling starts at reception

Impacts, excessive drop heights and unsuitable feed speeds can cause bruising from the earliest processing stages. To reduce these risks, Wyma recommends reception systems tailored to each crop, alongside equipment that separates stones and clods and helps remove soil before the main washing stage.

Cleaning must balance the removal of residues with the protection of the vegetables’ outer surfaces. Washing equipment and combined systems can bring several operations together and reduce the number of transfers between machines, where product damage can also occur.

Polishing helps create a consistent finish and remove remaining soil from the surface. Wyma’s solutions include the Vege-Polisher™, designed to adjust treatment intensity to the characteristics of each crop. For high-capacity facilities, the Mega-Polisher connects two units to increase throughput.

Grading, drying and cooling for export markets

International markets may require tighter size tolerances and consistent quality control. Wyma highlights roller-sizing systems and optical sorting technology to separate products according to their dimensions, appearance and potential defects before packaging.

Drying is also important because surface moisture can encourage microbial growth during storage and transport. The company’s absorbent rollers remove some of this moisture before packaging, a particularly relevant step when sealed packaging or modified-atmosphere systems are used.

Wyma identifies rapid post-harvest cooling as one of the most important measures for extending shelf life. Its Hydro-Cooler systems use cold water to reduce the internal temperature of produce and can be configured according to crop type and facility capacity. The cooling method and duration should be adapted to the characteristics of each vegetable.

Integrated lines designed for future growth

Wyma offers complete solutions connecting the different stages, from reception and washing to grading, cooling and packaging. Integration allows processing speeds to be coordinated, unnecessary handling to be reduced and each operation to be optimised in light of its impact on subsequent stages.

Planning should also account for potential expansion, changing customer requirements and new regulatory demands. According to the company, modular equipment can facilitate future capacity upgrades or the addition of new technologies without requiring the entire facility to be rebuilt.

With more than 60 years of experience in post-harvest engineering, Wyma designs processing lines tailored to each customer’s produce, production volumes and export destinations. The aim is to preserve vegetable quality throughout processing and increase the proportion of produce that reaches export markets in suitable condition.

More information is available from Wyma Solutions.