Every kind of citrus
Within half a years time more than 1.5 million kilos of citrus have gone through the washing line. Robbin sees a great deal of potential in washing citrus, "The washing line is suitable for every king of citrus, both conventional and organic, which means we always have work. There are also seasonal peaks, in particular, at the end of the season. At this time the quality of the citrus is lower. The citrus looks much better after putting them through the washing line. There is also an extraction hood that removes dust from the mold; which means companies can often sell the citrus for a higher price. Many times companies have products with so much rot/fungus that it can no longer be sold. We then clean those products up and the companies sell a part of that batch, instead of throwing it all away."
Largest washing line in the Netherlands
According to Robbin, using the machine saves a lot of time compared to manually washing the citrus, "In addition, the quality is also better at the end. Companies appreciate the speed of the process, and the quality. We can process large volumes and we also have a refrigerated storage space so we can store the citrus for a few days. We are the only company in the Netherlands with such a large citrus washing line." The companies do pay an extra cost for the washing, "The additional costs that come with the washing line, like extra electricity, have to be calculated in. For large companies handling citrus at this washing line can be very beneficial. It is not so much that the customer pays more for citrus gone through the washing line. The price is about the same as citrus that was washed by hand, that is why it is so interesting (including the water that we use and the electricity)."
For more information:
Robbin van Die
P. Looije Verpakkingen
06-22567607
robbin@looijeagf.nl.
www.looijeagf.nl