Key Technology COMPASS optical sorter for leafy greens

Key Technology (Key), a member of Duravant’s Food Sorting and Handling Group, has introduced its COMPASS optical sorter for leafy greens. Designed to inspect fresh-cut product straight from the field, this belt-fed system combines high-performance foreign material (FM) detection and removal with gentle, hygienic product handling. Featuring intuitive controls and an open, easy-to-clean design, the sorter is designed to help processors protect food safety and reduce labour requirements.

Suitable for sorting spinach, rocket and other unwashed, fresh-cut leafy greens including salad mixes, the machine identifies and rejects a wide variety of FM including dirt clods, rocks, sticks, insects and animal parts, as well as product defects when running single varieties. To simplify operation and reduce training requirements, the machine is recipe-driven and features a touchscreen interface that mimics smartphone app navigation.

It is equipped with customisable camera options including up to eight channels of multispectral sensor data. When configured with Key’s Pixel Fusion detection technology, it combines visible, infrared and shortwave infrared data at the pixel level to produce optimal contrasts for finding even difficult-to-detect FM and product defects. An optional chlorophyll-sensitive detection channel further enhances contrast between leafy greens and FM.