How can you ensure produce quality and consistency?

 

A task that is made even more difficult due to huge variations in quality across seasons, batches and varieties. Working with growers and packers around the world, we know that the world of fruit and vegetable production is challenging and fiercely competitive. Nevertheless, every day you must meet the strict market standards for quality, size, shape, color and overall appearance.

Following are the top challenges you might face, but don’t worry, we’ll also explore some solutions to ensure consistency and maximize your returns.

 

#1. Defects and diseases will damage your brand reputation.

 

Because of variable weather & growing conditions, each season has different, or more prevalent, defects which makes it challenging to deliver consistent quality. Extreme weather events, and ever stricter regulations on pesticide use, can have a big impact on the quality of your produce. On top of that, disease, bacteria and fungus can can cause a range of different internal defects that are extremely difficult to detect.

 

#2 Rejection hurts your business.

It only takes a small % of defective produce to dramatically increase the risk of rejection. More than ever, it’s important for growers to meet the ever-changing requirements and quality standards. On top of that, you must meet your volume and on-time commitments while preserving the consistency and quality of your packed product. That’s why it is critical that you do everything possible to ensure that each and every produce ends up in the right place.

 

#3. Uniformity in a world with a lot of sizes, shapes and quality differences.

Every fruit or vegetable is different. So is every defect. Internal and external defects occur in many ways and can vary from season to season and batch to batch. This variability in size, shape and quality makes it challenging for manual graders to consistently sort fruits and vegetables into uniform grades, which can affect their marketability.  

 

Sorting by hand is outdated, automation is the industry-standard.

To address the above challenges, automation of the grading and sorting process is increasingly being seen as the only way to efficiently achieve the desired quality on a consistent basis. Automation provides the added benefit of being able to maximize the value of each produce and to easily modify grading standards to address the unique needs of your customers.  On top of all that, the reduction in labor costs can significantly impact your overall returns.

Consistent quality for every type of produce 

After a season of hard work, you want to be rewarded with maximum harvest value. Whether you're working with delicate blueberries or potatoes of different sizes, shapes and colors, Ellips has the right solution for every type of produce. From soft, small fruits like cherries, cherry tomatoes, and blueberries to medium and large fruits and vegetables like apples, potatoes, onions, citrus, kiwi, and dates. We've got your grading needs covered.

 

Get the most value from your harvest with Elifab

For soft and small fruits, the Elifab Grading Machine is your go-to. Powered by Ellips AI grading technology, it ensures that every blueberry or cherry is graded with precision, regardless of weather conditions or batch quality. The result? You consistently meet your client’s quality standards and enhance your reputation as a preferred supplier.

Go large on capacity. Go even larger on quality with Elisam

For medium to large fruits and vegetables, the Elisam Grading Machine (also powered by Ellips AI technology) is built to handle everything from apples, dates and potatoes to onions, kiwi, citrus and more. Each product is graded accurately, helping you deliver consistent quality every season. With every fruit or vegetable graded correctly, you maximize your return and deliver exactly what your customers need.

#1. 360° precision grading for every product

Precision starts with full-surface inspection, and that’s exactly what sets Elisam and Elifab apart. Each machine is equipped with a unique rotating carrier that captures every angle of the product using 30 high-resolution images for small fruits and up to 90 images for larger produce like potatoes. Powered by Ellips AI grading technology, this system ensures exceptional accuracy in identifying quality differences across a wide range of produce. No matter the crop, you get consistent, confident grading. Every single time.


🥔 Potatoes
External defects: wireworm, common scab, sprouting, black and silver scurf, green potatoes, growth cracks, mechanical damage, punctures, and more

🧅 Onions
External defects: balding, external rot, black mold, sprouting, misshapen bulbs, mechanical damage, sour skin, watery scale, and more

🍎 Apples
External defects: sunburn, punctures, russet, insect or bird damage, frost damage, bruises, shrivel (dehydration), stem bowl cracks, and more

🌴 Dates
External defects: loose skin, calyx, doubles, yellow cap, and more

🥝 Kiwi
External defects: sunburn, skin cracks, russet, shape-related defects, scar tissue, rot, firmness and softness issues, and more

🍊 Citrus
External defects: blemishes, calyx, rot, stalk defects, crease, corrugations, mold, oleocellosis, end checks, navel deformations, and more

🫐 Blueberries
External defects: flower remains, slipskin, bruising, cuts, cell breakdown, compression damage, shrivel (dehydration), and more
Advanced sorting: Sort by softness, firmness, and bloom

🍒 Cherries
External defects: stem cracks, nose cracks, rot, splits, softness, bruising, pitting, blemishes, and more
Advanced sorting: Sort by softness and firmness

🍅 Cherry Tomatoes
External defects: stem defects, rot, splits, brix (sweetness), cell breakdown, cuts, stink bug marks, and more
Advanced sorting: Sort by softness and firmness

#2. Advanced internal quality detection

A perfect exterior doesn’t mean much if the internal quality isn’t there. That’s why Ellips' internal inspection system is a game-changer. By virtually scanning each product slice by slice, with up to 20 scans per item, it accurately detects internal issues that would otherwise go unnoticed. This allows you to maintain consistent quality and reduce the risk of problems during storage or transport. Sometimes it’s even possible to detect internal diseases at an early stage. 

🥔 Potatoes

Internal defects: internal browning, flecking, glazing, freeze damage, dry matter issues, hollow hearts, and more

🧅 Onions

Internal defects: core rot, fusarium, bulb rot, root plate issues, ring rot, neck rot, and more

🍎 Apples

Internal defects: internal browning, water core, internal bruising, bleeding, and more

🌴 Dates

Internal defects: black mold, excess moisture, and more

 

#3. True-AI: Smarter detection for complex defects

External and internal defects can vary widely by crop and even within the same batch. That’s where Ellips True-AI steps in. Trained on millions of examples, it accurately identifies even the most subtle and complex quality issues across all types of produce. True-AI continuously adapts and improves detection performance, helping you get closer to 100% grading accuracy with every run.

#4. Gentle handling, even at full speed

Elifab is engineered specifically for delicate fruit, ensuring gentle handling even during high-speed processing. Its silicon curtain system and ultra-low transfer heights minimize impact and protect product quality throughout the line. Meanwhile, Elisam is built for more robust crops but still delivers the same careful handling, with a unique carrier system that ensures smooth transitions and preserves appearance.

Revolutionize your business with a guarantee of consistent quality

Consistent quality is everything. With the powerful combination of Ellips grading technology and Elisam or Elifab machinery, you can detect even the most challenging defects and deliver superior quality across your entire product range. This means maximum returns, fewer claims, and the reliable consistency your customers expect. High-quality produce not only drives satisfaction and loyalty but also gives you a strong competitive edge in the market.