INTERSNACK CHOOSES QUALITY AND QUICK CHANGEOVER TIMES

Almost everyone has some Intersnack products at home, from peanut butter and packaged nuts (under private labels) to well-known brands like POM-BÄR and Chio Heartbreakers. Before production, the nuts are ‘cleaned’ on two sorting lines – delivered by FoodeQ – that remove all irregularities from the product flow.

Intersnack Group has facilities across Europe, including several sites in the Netherlands. The production site in Doetinchem primarily processes nuts, which come from all around the world via the Port of Rotterdam. Tens of thousands of pallets filled with big bags of nuts are first ‘cleaned’ before entering further processing. “We produce, package and sell to retailers while also supplying semi-finished products to the food industry,” says Senior Project Engineer Gerard Memelink. “But before we start, all contaminants – like nut shells, soil and stones, but also cigarette butts, plastic, glass etc. – must be removed.”

Trusted expertise

When Gerard Memelink joined Intersnack in January 2023, the cleaning process was still carried out on an outdated line in Doetinchem. “That line needed replacement. I had worked for 32 years at a major potato processor, where I got to know Marinus de Bruijn and Jaco van der Jagt. I also go way back with John Luxon, about 20 years. The collaboration was always excellent. They deliver quality and understand the food industry like no one else, so I invited them to contribute here as well. A large part of the solution involves vibratory technology, an area where FoodeQ has an outstanding reputation.”

A unique solution for a sticky challenge

John Luxon explains: “Based on the requirements and wishes of Intersnack, we designed the system and developed detailed drawings. We reviewed and refined them together.” Gerard adds: “We wanted a solution that would serve us well for the coming years. We process, all on the same lines, large volumes of cashews, almonds, hazelnuts and more. These nuts involve different allergens, meaning the line must be completely clean before switching to another product. If cleaning takes hours, we’d never meet our production targets. Nuts typically leave stubborn residues that stick to surfaces, requiring manual cleaning. High-pressure cleaning isn’t an option, because introducing water into the process is undesirable. To solve this, we treated the stainless steel that comes into contact with the product using a revolutionary new amorphization technique. This creates an ultra-smooth surface that repels moisture and dirt, drastically reducing buildup and making cleaning much easier. The initial investment is higher, but we quickly recover the cost because the changeover time is significantly reduced.”

A project built on collaboration

The existing cleaning line in Doetinchem was phased out and in early 2025, FoodeQ’s engineers in Zevenaar delivered and tested the two new sorting lines. Since mid-February, the lines have been operating at full capacity. Bulk nuts are fed onto the line, where sieving and vibratory transport remove most contaminants. Lighter materials, such as leaves, are extracted by suction. Further downstream an X-ray system performs a final optical check. “FoodeQ developed and supplied the first part of the line, but they ultimately installed the entire system, including components we sourced from other suppliers. You can tell that FoodeQ is used to handling these projects turnkey. It’s impressive to see. The new lines measure 20 by 8 meters and have a height of 12 meters. A project like this is only possible with seamless collaboration. FoodeQ understands that perfectly well.”

www.intersnack.nl