Washing and removing soil, stones, and foreign bodies such as metal, wood, or plastics from potatoes considerably increases food safety, however, it is not only washing but also optical sorting and checking, that prevents impurities from contaminating the product.

It is important for any equipment that can separate crop from the soil, stones, and debris, to be designed to handle the cultivars gently, to ensure product quality. By using advanced and automated equipment, these processes can be carried out much quicker and more effectively than before, ensuring the process is efficient and productive, while maintaining the integrity, and ultimately the value of the crop.

In this complex process of removing soil, stones, and foreign bodies from the potato crop, downstream from the intake system, which can either be via a box tipper or bulk intake hopper, the potatoes are generally taken over a dry-cleaning system to remove loose dry dirt, before entering the wet washing area.

Whether destoning, soaking, washing, or polishing the cultivars, keeping water fresh at each stage of the process can have a significant effect on the finished quality of the product. It is well known that dirty water can contaminate crop, which can result in a dramatically reduced shelf-life. Therefore, water-recirculation systems that effectively recycle water during the washing process, are increasingly being incorporated as part of advanced potato washing systems.

Water recycling systems not only keep water fresher for longer by removing soil from the water but also help reduce water consumption and minimize wear and tear on equipment that can be caused by soil damage. Downtime is reduced as the water recycling systems continuously work to remove soil from water, meaning equipment can also run continuously without the need to stop the line and clean tanks out. You can read the rest of this article in your complimentary e-copy of Issue 3 of Potato Business Digital magazine, which you can access by clicking here.