1. Processing of seasonal food crops BONDUELLE
AGENDA
Bonduelle in the world
CHALLENGES with vegetables crops
PROCESS AUTOMATION
Bonduelle Canada approach
Off-season strategy: how to find new market
Inflavor project

2. BONDUELLE : une entreprise familiale
150 ans de 1ère transformation agroalimentaire
1853
1926
2009

3. et celles de nos clients:
BONDUELLE, RIEN QUE LE LEGUME, TOUT LE LEGUME
Many BRANDS
et celles de nos clients:
no name

4. BONDUELLE MISSION BE THE WORLD REFERENCE IN VEGETABLES Well living through vegetable products Our vision

5. CHALLENGE with vegetables crops
Crop Season: May to December: we are working 24 hour per day
So, what about spring-winter months??
What product can we process?:
every year we have to evaluate market
In can: pulse, sauces, patatoes, root vegetables (beet)
Frozen: root, patato, dry beans, rice
What vegetables is really available during off-season??
Off-season process: -power contract, weather, supply chain,labour
Contract with chains: ««booking»» is not a firm order
Need to always look at opportunity/new product/new process
Technology watch/scanning

6. Bonduelle strategy on process automation
Buy new or used equipments line ««state of the art»»and adapt/up-date them (if possible)
exemple bought a 2 year ««state of the art»»Freezing tunnel for one third of the price!!!
Use supplier flexibility to test run their equipments before buying
Exemple: color sorter supplier accepted to make production run with competitor
Winner take the order
Try to choose the same automation supplier: expertise, spare parts and inventory are big factor in the sucesss of line automation
Strategic plan: on a 3 to 5 years , make plant running full year
We need to select/evaluate the right or best technology before implement complete process automation
exemple : project Inflavor microwaves dryer
Open innovation: ask the world for solutions
robotics: exemple of drone that follow fields and crops
R-D is the key for success

7. Color sorter: replace 40 inspection workers

8. Continous cooker

9. As Bonduelle innovates in Russia and uses a drone to film one of our field using strip till technique ( an Ecologically Intensive farming ! no herbicide

10. How important will it be to adopt process automation technologies over the next 5-10 years?
Labour shortage (less attractive job/sector)
our vegetables sector is lousing «« SKILLED LABOUR»»
SEASONAL FOOD SECTOR IS NOT POPULAR for youngster:
-long hour, work 7 days a week, LOW SALARY
Hard/tough physical job: be 8-9 hour stand up
No one want to work ««night shift»»
Foreign worker is a temporary solution
Cost reduction: must stay competitive on cost/market
Health and safety programs/regulation: Bonduelle has «No Injury»» policy for each plant
Automation cannot replace everyone or every jobs
-sometimes, no solution is found or : too costly or reliable
-exemple: cleaning, maintenance, lift
Sustained growth: we need new product or way to improve it
Increase productivity

11. Why do we not use more process automation now?
Capital investment needed: ROI
Cost of the equipment-investment needed
How many hours this equipment will really run?
Need partnership to share risk
Equipment Supplier choice: difficult to find the best
Specialist who repairs/program it it
time needed to fix/adapt new equipment
What are the main barriers to adopting automation technology/new process
Evaluation of Cost versus anticipated result
Are we making the right choice??
It is going to slow down the line?? Too many probe/detector and if one stop, all the line stop!!
Proof of liability: «« new design»» versus ««old way »» of doing it
-pepper line: remove corer and install 2 color sorter!!

12. R-D and Innovation
R-D is crucial for development of off-season product for Bonduelle
The hability to find new product/new concept for slower period is a major objective to stay in business/not closing the plant
Building a strong innovation team: grower, processor, marketing, buyer
Need a ««champion»» for every plant department who focus on result
Partnership with equipment supplier, research center
Government programs: Federal and provincial government have great financial program to help put in place company oriented project (AIP)
Target ««blue ocean»» project
The ultimate objective is to find process or unique product to run full year
From these observations, let see one exemple! The Inflavor project

13. EnWave/InFlavor Projet Innovation
Bonduelle Amériques

14. Story of Inflavor project
HOW THIS PROJECT WAS CHOOSEN BY BONDUELLE??
With R-D and production team, exemple of round table questions raised
FROZEN VEGETABLE: COMPLAINT ABOUT TEXTURE AND FLAVOUR (fridge taste and watery!)
PROCESS: how can we blanch/cook without water or steam??
Why «« fragile»» vegetable like onions, peppers, tomate are so difficult to freeze??
What vegetable could be process during winter time?
Phone call from an USA supplier who claim it could heat corn kernel without any lost: use microwave!
The Enwave/Inflavor project was born
Risky project : no one has ever think about: partially dried fragile vegetables before freezing under vacuum with microwaves
Could be a great business opportunity to run all frozen plant all year long!
Can somebody help us put in place R-D program: government AIP (Agri-Innovation Program)

15. In FLAVOR HIGHLIGHTS Project Inflavor/Enwave objectives:
Create a new line of partially dry frozen vegetables:
We remove 10 to 30 % of water in weight
Dry vegetable at 20 to 35°C under microwave vacuum equipment
This is the big difference compared to all others dryer
Watery vegetables: onions, peppers, mushroom, squash, tomato, cucumbers, spinach
More flavor, more firm texture, better nutritive value
Close to fresh when used/cooked in Food service/end users
No drip/water release when tawed/used in product formulation
Targeting RTE bacti level with different hurdle technology/barrier: reduced blanching process, water/gazeous ozone, natural bactericide (Listeria)
Low speed line : ton per hour(phase No 2)
Next generation of Cryogenic freezing tunnel (nitrogen)
$ 5 millions budget project for 2 years

16. Fresh dominates frozen vegetable usage in restaurants
product
Fresh
Frozen
Green Peppers
 
Red Peppers
Other Peppers
 
Red Onions
White Onions
Mushrooms
Vegetable Mix

The majority of operators interviewed are primarily using fresh vegetables in their restaurants. Most operators said that they only had minimal or seasonal use for frozen vegetables.
Mushrooms, green and red peppers and a vegetable mixes are the most common frozen vegetables operators say they are currently using.
The chart above shows the propensity for operators to use fresh vs. frozen vegetables, in general.
Q: Which of the following vegetables do you currently use in your operation?

17. The decision to use fresh vs
The decision to use fresh vs. frozen produce is a balancing act between quality and price
“There is a stigma associated with using a frozen product. If the quality and the cost of fresh and frozen are similar, you pick fresh. What is the benefit of using frozen?”
“The vast majority of consumers prefer fresh. From their perception, fresh equals quality. That’s why we’d rather get as much from the fields as possible than compromise our standards by using frozen.”
Fresh produce is generally considered to be superior in quality vs. frozen. Many operators view their ability to source and use fresh produce as a point of differentiation vs. competitors and like to promote their use of fresh, local produce on their menus as it is typically perceived as being high quality.
“The quality is more important than the price. I want what is going to look and taste the best.”
“Quality is why we are on fresh now. To change to a frozen product, the quality would have to be there. Then, it would be all about what it is going to cost me.”
“Our guests perception of fresh product, is better quality.”
Frozen produce typically carries a negative connotation
Q: Why aren’t you using/buying any frozen vegetables for use in your operation?

18. Operators generally had positive perceptions of inFlavor products
“Product quality of the onions is over the top, I’m honestly a little embarrassed that I haven’t recommended them to my culinary team. I would like to see the spec on them.”
“The crunch is great, but the flavour of the vegetable is not there. If I had a blindfold on, it would be very hard to say that that was a pepper.”
After tasting each of the inFlavor products, operators largely expressed positive perceptions of the inFlavor products. The individual varietals (onions, mushrooms and peppers) seemed to resonate best, followed by the blends. The biggest overarching critique regarding the inFlavor line was that the vegetables were lacking flavour. Operators also expect to pay more for frozen, pre-cut vegetables vs. fresh.
“Really good colouring, not mushy. As far as Bonduelle goes, I think they have a superior line. As far as product quality, I haven’t seen anything as good as this.”
“It does not taste like it had previously been frozen. It has a good bite to it, very crunchy. Great quality and color.”
Water content
Colour
Visual appearance
Texture
Shelf-life
Ready-to-cook
Custom spec
Flavour
Perceived price
“The flavour seems diluted.”
“They taste pretty fresh, pretty crispy.”
“From a colour, texture and flavour standpoint, they are quite good. Not mushy.”
Operators think highly of the colour, texture, visual appeal and lack of water content linked to inFlavor products
Q: What is your initial reaction to this product?
Q: After trying the inFlavor vegetables, does this change your perception of them in any way? Better, the same, or worse? How so?

19. Inflavor/Dehydrofrozen vegetables
-Process using a microwave under vacuum to remove moisture in the product for concentrating flavour and enhancing the colour
-Currently: 2 shifts of 10 hrs during peak season (peppers)
-Principal vegetables processed: Peppers, Onions, Mushrooms

20. Installation at Ste-Martine’s plant

21. frozen tomato

22. mushroom

23. C