How we do it?
In the fields
We select the best plots for each crop after a rigorous analysis of the soil, farmlands and seeds. Our agronomists work closely with farmers and cooperatives in the area to achieve the best greens and vegetables for each process and each customer.
From the field to the processing line
The harvested produce arrives at our production centres at the peak of its maturity. Our fields are very close to our production centres to guarantee maximum freshness of the produce. Next they go through strict quality controls and, if appropriate, are unloaded on to the corresponding processing line. Each batch is identified with a unique code to guarantee traceability throughout the chain.
Blanching, pre-frying, grilling or roasting
Once the produce has been selected, cleaned and chopped, it can be subjected to different processes, depending on the use to which it will be put: Blanching, Pre-frying or Grilling/Roasting. In said processes the produce is subjected to short-term heat treatment which allows those enzymes which can harm the produce to be eliminated, thus increasing the useful life of the greens.
Individually Quick Frozen (IQF)
Once blanched, pre-fried or grilled/roasted, the produce cools and goes to the freezing tunnel. There it is subjected to an air flow at -40ºC which very quickly freezes the vegetables to a temperature of -18ºC within a few minutes. This quick-freezing process enables the ice crystals that form within tissue cells to be very small. In this way it prevents the cell walls of which the vegetables are made up from being destroyed. Therefore, on defrosting the produce there is no spillage of cell fluids thus guaranteeing a texture, nutritional value and flavour equal to those of newly harvested produce.
Optical Sorting
The frozen produce continues to go through monitoring and selection processes, it is subjected to the latest generation of optical and laser sorting to ensure that it is totally clean and free of any foreign body.
Storage
Frozen greens are initially stored in octagon cartons or octobins which, using electrical conveyors, are taken automatically to the cold stores. There they remain at a temperature of -22ºC, available for when required out of season conserving practically all their nutritional properties.
Mixture
The product requested may be a mixture of several ingredients. In this case, each of them travels in its octagon carton via electrical conveyors automatically to the mixing room where they are tipped, dosed and mixed.
Packaging
The various products also reach the packaging area automatically, there they are tipped into hoppers, measured out and packaged in the format requested.
Boxing and palletizing
The packaged bags flow down the packaging line to the boxing area where they are boxed, palletized and automatically strapped.
Dispatch and haulage
When the final product is ordered it travels automatically from the cold store to the loading bays. Once there our forklift truck drivers place them on the various lorries. Throughout the whole process the product is always maintained at a temperature below -18ºC in order not to break the cold chain.
