Italian cooperative Conserve Italia has announced that it has invested €7 million in a new tomato processing line in its Ravarino production plant near Modena.
The 3,000 square-metre facility, operational since the summer of this year, manufactures pulp and tomato purée in Tetra Recart, a popular brick packaging.
Equipped with state-of-the-art technology and automation, the production line can process up to 12,000 pieces per hour.
Since the summer of this year, it has already produced 10 million cartons of pulp and purée, half of which are from organic tomatoes.
Tomato-Based Products
According to president Maurizio Gardini, the new line will enable Conserve Italia to increase its presence in tomato-based products.
The company has also devoted significant attention to reducing the environmental impact of the new facility.
It has installed LED lighting which saves 20,000 kWh per year, or an equivalent of 9 tonnes of CO2.
The bricks are cooled using a closed circuit of water, cooled by automated pumps that save around 90% of electricity and water compared to traditional methods.
Growth In Production
The new facility has boosted the production capacity of the Ravarino plant by more than 20%, from 74 million to 90 million per year, Conserve Italia said.
The Ravarino plant is one of the most important facilities of the Bologna-based cooperative, which manufactures products for the Cirio and Valfrutta brands.
In recent years, the Ravarino plant has emerged as a point of excellence for the processing of tomatoes, chickpeas, and legumes.
Conserve Italia’s assortment also includes brands such as Yoga, Derby Blue, Jolly Colombani, Mon Jardin, Barbier Dauphin and Dea, produced in the rest of Italy.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
