FEATURE Food & beverage


EVERY GRAM COUNTS IN PRODUCE PACKAGING EVERY GRAM COUNTS IN PRODUCE PACKAGING


Greenyard Frozen Belgium has boosted accuracy, cut  through the use of intelligent dynamic checkweighers from Mettler-Toledo


G


reenyard Frozen Belgium in Westrozebeke, a leader in frozen fruits and vegetables, packages millions of


products annually for both domestic and international markets. Confronted with challenges relating


 their high-speed packaging lines, Greenyard partnered with Mettler- Toledo to implement intelligent dynamic checkweighers equipped with feedback  improved packaging accuracy, reduced product waste, and enhanced operational  Greenyard’s packaging process involves bulk vegetables passing through metal detectors to inspect for metal contamination, followed by checkweighers that verify package weight before boxing.


 with the company adding an extra 40 grams per one-kilogram bag as a safety  this margin quickly accumulated to tons of wasted food annually. Manual  to maintain close adherence to target weights, prompting the need for a more precise, automated solution.  on the C33 PlusLine checkweigher from Mettler-Toledo was piloted the previous year with promising results. The checkweighing system continuously monitors the average package weight and automatically adjusts the multi-head  grams per one-kilogram bag. Following the successful pilot,


Greenyard replaced four older  level adjustment feature across multiple lines. By the following year, all six small packaging lines were equipped with this technology, supported by on-site assistance and operator training from Mettler-Toledo.


This intelligent checkweighing system 20 November/December 2025 | Automation


goes beyond measuring weight; it constantly monitors average package weights, and adapts to make real-time adjustments. This  maintaining weight closer to the desired target.


Dominiek Vierstraete, Technical Manager within Greenyard’s packaging department, said: “We have used checkweighers and metal detection systems from Mettler-Toledo for many years. We initially tested the smart  newer checkweighers. The results were so convincing that we decided to replace four older devices and integrate this function across all packaging lines.” Initial setup required manual input of


 product types, such as loose peas versus  testing were necessary to accommodate products with varying shapes and weights, and a visual interface allowed operators to monitor average weight trends in real time. Mettler-Toledo provided on-site support  well as operator training to ensure smooth deployment.


The savings have been clear. On one of the lines, the overweight decreased from 0.69%  not seem like much but calculated annually  quantities of product no longer packaged  waste reduction.” Key results:





  • Estimated product savings of


 packages per minute • Considerable cost savings and waste


reduction realised annually  manual intervention “We can control the excess weight much  weight. This saves product, prevents waste,  Ultimately, it is an investment that pays for itself quickly,’ said Vierstraete. Mari Bögels, Account Manager at Mettler-


Toledo Product Inspection, highlights how  returns when adopting smart product inspection solutions: “Margins are under pressure and every gram counts – companies can save substantially with smart technology. On average, the investment is recouped within a few months, depending on the product and the line.”


  feature include: • Rapid return on investment, often within one to a few months


• Reduced raw material costs through optimised packaging weights


• Enhanced sustainability by minimising product waste


 application across other Greenyard locations and product lines Vierstraete concluded: “We can control the excess weight much better and stay closer to  prevents waste, and contributes to a more  that pays for itself quickly.”


Mettler-Toledo www.mt.com/pi-pr


automationmagazine.co.uk


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40