Crop processing (root vegetable sorting)

A smart way to improve root veg density sorting   

Argirec Veg is sedimentary kaolinite from the Charentes basin in western France, ideal for improving the productivity of root vegetable density sorting processes.

Argirec Veg enables root vegetable processors to salvage or upgrade vegetable batches by selectively removing poor quality vegetables.

Argirec Veg is a technological additive that is virtually insoluble in water (0.2% w/w after one hour). Adding kaolinitic clays with a density of 2.6 such as Argirec Veg to the sorting process allows users to adjust the density of the sorting bath from 1,000 to 1,100 kg/m³.

Benefits

Due to its very fine particle size distribution (d50 below 1µm) and very slow settling rate, Argirec Veg provides the following benefits:

• Reduced processing costs
• Reduced clay unit consumption (the company Mydibel observed a 40% reduction in clay consumption compared to bleaching clay)
• Less handling to refill the bath compared to bleaching clay; unlike bleaching clay, there is no risk of gel formation in the bath
• Faster bath set-up, reducing downtime thanks to easier dispersion in the water
• No equipment corrosion (unlike salt baths) and no need to use a specific grade of steel
• Improved storage stability compared to salt sorted vegetables
• Low surface area, reducing stickiness on the vegetable during rinsing

Environmental benefits

• Argirec Veg is an inert and chemically stable material. As such, it does not have any adverse effect on the environment and can be disposed of as common waste in compliance with local regulations. 
• Unlike salt baths, Argirec Veg has no impact upon the flocculation process and does not affect biological activity during the wastewater treatment process. 
• Argirec Veg is suitable for use with all types of root vegetables and density sorting equipment. It should be added to the bathfollowing de-stoning and washing.

Regulatory status

• Argirec Veg is produced in compliance with HACCP guidelines.
• It is regularly monitored for dioxins, dioxin-like and non-dioxin-like PCBs and heavy metals

For more information about the regulatory status of Argirec Veg, please contact our European Agriculture team.

Argirec Veg is part of the Imerys kaolin portfolio.