About the company

Pomona-Food Sp. z oo Sp.k. is one of the most renowned manufacturers of canned fruits and vegetables as well as ready meals in jars in Poland.

The company is primarily known for its brand DWOREK 1905 known for producing, among other things, soups, broths, pickled vegetables, gherkins, canned vegetables and numerous other products based on crystal-clear spring water from its own source – without preservatives and without genetic engineering.

Ausgangssituation

As production volumes increased, so did the demands on quality, process reliability and efficiency.

Before automation, solid and liquid ingredients were predominantly dosed manually.

This resulted in varying fill quantities, fluctuating product quality, and a high demand for personnel.



In addition, staff shortages due to illness made production planning more difficult and repeatedly led to organizational challenges.

The biggest challenge

For Pomona-Food, production output was not the only priority.

The crucial point was that Each glass is of the same quality offers.

Especially with products like mushroom goulash or soups with pieces of vegetables, it sometimes happened that individual jars contained different amounts of solid components.

The cause was not the dosage itself, but the uneven mixing of the product before bottling.

This led to fluctuations in quality and complaints.

The jointly developed solution

In September 2024, a complete production line was installed, specifically designed for the production of soups and canned vegetables in glass jars.

The facility includes, among other things:

• Glass rinser
• Glass collection buffer
• Conveyor technology
• Carousel dosing system for solid ingredients
• Conveyor
• Pneumatic dosing system for soups and products with vegetable pieces, including product tank and mixer.
• Carousel dosing system for liquids and infusions
• Steam sealing machine with lid feeder
• Buffer system
• Rotary table for glass discharge after sterilization

However, the crucial component of the solution was a specially developed horizontal belt mixing plant.



It ensures that solid components are evenly distributed throughout the product during the entire dosing process and that each portion has the same composition.

The results

More than double the production output

Production output increased from approximately 6,000 to 12,600 glasses per shift.

Less staff

The staffing requirements could be reduced from approximately 30 to 16 employees be reduced.

At the same time, Pomona-Food now produces more than twice as many products within the same timeframe.

Consistent quality in every glass

However, the greatest success of the new production line lies in the significantly improved product quality.

Thanks to the new mixing and dosing system, each jar now contains a consistent amount of vegetables, mushrooms, or other solid ingredients.

The result:

• reproducible product quality,
• fewer complaints,
• higher customer satisfaction,
• Increased process reliability.
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Greater independence from the skills shortage

Thanks to automation, the company is now significantly less dependent on short-term staff shortages.



Production remains stable and predictable even in the event of absences due to illness.

The collaboration

Pomona-Food rates its collaboration with Marba and Machines4FoodIndustry with the highest rating in all areas. 10 out of 10.

The following were particularly highlighted:

• technical advice,
• Understanding the requirements,
• Communication,
• Quality of the solution,
• commissioning,
• Service and support.
  

💡 Expert tip from Machines4FoodIndustry

Why is mixing technology just as important as dosing technology?

For soups and products with solid ingredients, the dosing machine alone does not determine the quality of the final product.

The correct mixing technique is equally important.

Only if vegetables, mushrooms or other ingredients are kept in constant motion throughout the entire dosing process will each jar have the same composition.

That's why at Machines4FoodIndustry we always consider dosing and mixing technology as a complete system – for reproducible quality, fewer complaints and satisfied consumers.

Paweł Grabiec
Managing Director Marba Sp. z o.o.
Engineering partner of Machines4FoodIndustry