JBT Corporation, a technology solutions provider to the global food and beverage industry, and food safety technology company SmartWash Solutions™ have announced the start of a new European alliance between the two companies, which has been developed to bring an innovative combination of science, technology and engineering to fresh-cut produce processors within Europe.
Originally launched in the US in 2009, SmartWash Solutions’ patented SmartWash delivers Pinpoint Process Control™ to food processing wash water systems, mitigating cross contamination while improving food safety. The system is now used by over 50% of the US fresh-cut produce industry, leading to expansion to Europe with the opening of SmartWash Solutions BV in the Netherlands.
Ewoud Buter, General Manager of SmartWash Solutions BV, said “Through our alliance with JBT, we will be able to make many more people in the industry aware of the benefits of SmartWash by leveraging the resources of JBT worldwide.”
Carlos Fernandez, JBT's Executive Vice President and President, Liquid Foods, said: "Food safety is a mega-trend that will transform the marketplace over the next generation. We're thrilled to partner with SmartWash Solutions and offer this to our customers.”
Alleviate challenges
Buter explained that the solution is designed to increase and maximize the effectiveness of the most powerful anti-microbial weapon in existence – chlorine – by combining chlorine-based washes with patented SmartWash chemistry. “The components of our patented SmartWash solution help to alleviate the challenges associated with fresh-cut produce, comprising a high level of pathogen control that allows us to mitigate the risk of cross contamination and in the process reduce the probability of outbreaks occurring,” Butler said. “The wash water used in fresh-cut processing can get extremely dirty, due to soils and other contaminants entering the system.”
SmartWash Solutions’ process control systems provide high process control while also withstanding the challenges of working in a wet and cold environment, common in fresh-cut processing. Additionally, SmartWash Solutions has helped realize cost savings in labor, productivity and utilities by improving the efficiency of wash systems and increasing the process control to levels previously impossible in the industry.
SmartWash systems now treat an estimated five billion pounds worth of fresh-cut produce in the US every year, as well as significant volumes in Canada, Australia, China and Spain.
For more information:
Ewoud Buter
SmartWash Solutions BV
ebuter@smartwashsolutions.com
http://www.smartwashsolutions.com