That fresh-cut strawberries are becoming increasingly popular is nothing new. This is confirmed by Virginia Cascella, an expert in the field of processing machines for fresh-cut fruit and vegetables and export manager at PND. The Italian company is among the most innovative in the production and marketing of fruit processing machines in particular.

"Our company has designed the DF12 and DF24 strawberry de-stemming machine to support not only food processing companies, but also those operating in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical sectors," said Cascella herself. "This machine is specifically used to remove the stalk from the upper part of the fruit and, on request, cut it in half or four. An accurate operation, for an extremely delicate fruit'.

The demand for specialised machinery to process this product, according to PND, is steadily increasing and the company is perfectly placed to meet it. Always!

"Thanks to its innovative stainless steel design," remarked the manager, "the machine in question reduces mechanical damage resulting from automated processing, as it uses a precision system for a clean cut in a short time. Perfected over time, the DF12 and DF24 strawberry peeling machine allows reduced waste, guaranteed to be within 10-12%, and is able to process strawberries of different diameters, ranging from 20 to 50 mm, simply by replacing the membrane supporting the fruit, i.e. by making small adjustments to the settings".

Another advantage not to be underestimated, besides ease of use, maintenance and cleaning, is the reduction in labour.

Processing takes place in four stages: loading, product alignment, dehulling and fruit ejection. The DF12 processes 300 fruits per minute with four operators, about 300 kg per hour. The DF24, on the other hand, can process 600 fruits per minute with eight operators, about 600 kg per hour.

"From the very first moment, we have been proud of the results that this machine, appreciated worldwide, has given us," concluded Virginia Cascella. "So far we have sold as many as 90 units in Spain, Mexico, the Netherlands, Great Britain, France, Australia and Chile, in just six years. Our strong point is our attention to the customer, who is followed from the design to the commissioning of the machine, with meticulous assistance that goes beyond any kilometre distance".