posted by: heuchadmin Botzenhard, located in Ulm, Germany, is a key player in the agricultural industry, specialising in the cultivation of iceberg lettuce. The company exports large quantities of lettuce to various markets, and like many agricultural producers, they face the challenge of maintaining product freshness over long transport distances. To tackle this, Botzenhard invested in a Weber vacuum cooling system to enhance the quality and longevity of their iceberg lettuce.
The production company grows certified vegetables (Global GAP and QS) on approximately 45 hectares of fully irrigable land. During the season, the company employs up to 90 workers to support its operations. Their diverse product range includes lettuce, iceberg lettuce, mixed lettuce, lettuce hearts, endive, broccoli, and cauliflower.
The trading company, certified according to IFS and QS, prepares the products according to customer requirements, packages them, and ensures their transportation to the customer. For packaging, they use a flow-pack system for salads and a film wrapping machine for iceberg lettuce and broccoli. The company has cold storage capacity for 300 Euro pallets across two cold stores.
Their production is supported by nine tractors with various attachments, ensuring efficient cultivation and harvesting. To handle transportation, the company operates five refrigerated vehicles, including one semi-trailer, one 18-tonner, and three 7.5-tonners.
Iceberg lettuce is highly perishable and prone to discolouration of the cutting surface, moisture loss, and a reduction in crispness if not cooled rapidly post-harvest. Maintaining the right temperature is essential for preserving the lettuce’s freshness, and traditional cooling methods, such as room cooling, often fail to cool the lettuce quickly enough. Without immediate cooling, the lettuce becomes more susceptible to spoilage during transport, reducing its market value and increasing wastage.
Room Cooling: Room cooling is a traditional method where harvested produce is placed in a refrigerated room, and the cooling process takes place gradually as the cold air circulates around the product. Cooling iceberg lettuce using room cooling can take up to 12-24 hours to reduce the temperature to the desired level. During this time, the product remains exposed to warmer temperatures, which accelerates spoilage.
In addition, room cooling has significant energy inefficiencies. Not all the energy used goes directly toward cooling the product. The system also has to compensate for factors like open doors, lights, and the heat generated by forklifts and workers inside the cooling area. Infiltration of warmer air from outside further adds to energy losses, making it a costly and less sustainable method.
Vacuum Cooling: In contrast, vacuum cooling is highly energy efficient. Nearly all the electricity used in vacuum cooling goes toward reducing the temperature of the product itself. There are no external factors—such as lights, forklifts, or workers inside the cooling unit—that can increase the temperature or reduce cooling efficiency. Since the vacuum cooler is sealed during operation, there is no infiltration of warm air, ensuring a more controlled environment and less wasted energy.
More importantly, vacuum cooling significantly reduces cooling times. While room cooling can take several hours, vacuum cooling can reduce the temperature of lettuce to 4°C in just 15-25 minutes. This rapid cooling not only preserves the product’s quality but also consumes less energy, as the cooling is targeted and efficient.
Botzenhard implemented a Weber vacuum cooling system, which has drastically improved their post-harvest process. The vacuum cooler reduces the lettuce’s temperature to 4°C within 15-25 minutes. This rapid cooling locks in freshness and ensures that the cutting surface does not discolour, a common issue that occurs when lettuce is left at ambient temperatures for too long. The final cooling stage, which brings the lettuce to 0.5°C, takes place in their cold room, which is consistently maintained at an ideal temperature.
Martin Botzenhard of Gemüse Botzenhard, Germany, highlights this improvement:
“Since we invested in our vacuum cooler, we can always cool down our lettuce within 15 – 25 minutes to around 4 °C. Final cooling to 0.5 °C takes place in our cold room, which now always stays at its ideal temperature.”
• Faster Cooling: The Weber vacuum cooler allows Botzenhard to cool their iceberg lettuce within 15-25 minutes, compared to the 12-24 hours required for room cooling. This is a significant reduction, ensuring product quality is preserved from the moment of harvest.
Weber’s vacuum cooling technology has been instrumental in improving the post-harvest process for iceberg lettuce at Botzenhard. The investment has led to faster cooling times, extended shelf life, and improved product quality while also offering substantial energy savings compared to traditional cooling methods like room cooling. As Martin Botzenhard notes, the system allows their lettuce to remain fresh and crisp for longer, enhancing its appeal in export markets and ultimately making their operations more efficient, profitable, and sustainable.
DISCLOSURE: All information in this article has been provided by Weber Group. Heuch Cooling Solutions proudly serves as the exclusive distributor of Weber Group Cooling Fresh in Australia and New Zealand.
References:
www.ahr.com.au
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