From receipt of raw materials to producing into products

• 1.Receiving raw materials

  

  We inspect the fresh sweet potatoes which are the raw material of frozen processing. We check and inspect thoroughly to make sure it is within the clients' or our company standards, such as size, feel, smell, etc.
  Harvest (over 150 days after planting), farming location and producer information, and freshness (delivered within 3 days after harvest) are being checked based on production record.
  Once inspected, they are stored in a well-ventilated place, covered, to protect from damage and rotting.

• 2. Input raw materials to machine

  

  We input the raw materials, kansho, into the hopper(a machine that washes kansho).

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    Environment-friendly primary washing

• 3.Washing process

  

  The materials go through a primary and secondary washing process.
  The primary wash uses a combination of fresh water and cyclic water, and the secondary wash uses fresh water that will not stress the environment.

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    Kairen tank 1

• 4.After washing, then to separation

  

  We do selective processing of sweet potatoes. (Work to exclude nonstandard and diseased Sweet potatoes. Depending on the clients, it may be necessary to cut off both ends of the sweet potatoes.)
  Sort the sweet potatoes and go to the trimming line as necessary. Even if some sweet potatoes were to have mild black spots, we comply with the clients' and our company standards to dispose of them. Also, large kansho (sweet potatoes) will be cut to adjust to an average size.

• 5.Transfer to the steaming process

  

  After separating, the sweet potatoes are being moved to steel baskets to prepare for the steaming process.

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    Weight and record sweet potatoes for spots, rotting, and non-standard sweet potatoes by each supplier/producer.

• 6.Into the steamer

  

  Approximately 250 kg × 4 levels of steam baskets will be attached with identification plates based on suppliers and producers and then be loaded into the steamer. We manage temperature and time precisely to make steamed products based on each client's request.

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    The temperature control panel in the steamer has a sensor that allows us to manage the temperature. This accomplishes a stable steaming process. The lamp is also easy to understand to alert the workers.

• 7.Post-steam process, cooling → quick freezing

  

  After steaming, we cool them with a suction machine. A large fan (low noise type) cools the steam baskets down to 55°C. After weighing, load them in a freezer room, quick-freeze them. After they're taken out of the steamer, they are loaded into our warehouse within 2 hours from September to October, and 1 hour between November to December (in-house standard rule).

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    Weighing

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    Loading into the quick-freeze warehouse

• 8.Start separating quick-frozen sweet potatoes

  

  After the quick-freeze, we start separating the kansho. After checking the core temperature of sweet potatoes, those that pass are put into the separation machine.

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    Checking the core temperature

• 9.Sorting and inspecting for foreign matter

  

  After separating, as a final stage, we sort and check for any foreign matter. The final inspection is done visually by an inspector, a metal detecting inspector, and an in-line inspector.

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• 10.Bagging after inspection

  

  Those that passed the final inspection are bagged according to the requested weight of each client.

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    Check weight with the electric scale.

• 11.Storage

  

  We then load to store the bagged products into the freezer warehouse.
  In order to prevent squashing due to the weight, products that are loaded into the freezer warehouse will be flat loaded for one day and retightened. We manage each client's products with the attachment of a product card. We then fill in the record of the product layout drawing and the temperature measurement in the freezer warehouse.

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    Product Arrangement

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    Product Card