The main functions of an MES system include:

• Real-time data collection and analysis
• Control of manufacturing costs
• Planning and sequencing of manufacturing orders
• Quality management
• Production data collection
• Report generation

At Bollo Natural Fruit we are implementing the LÊS OEE solution from Progresa Lean, which helps us to have everything centralised in a single system, connecting the planning level (ERP) and the plant control level (machines).

Thanks to this system, we are able to improve production efficiency, control machine speed, optimise production planning, control quality, analyse packaging and improve data-based decision-making.

La entrada We implement the MES System in our headquarters in Alzira se publicó primero en Bollo Naturalfruit.

The passing of these audits with a very good score is the result of the great teamwork of all the staff who are part of #BolloNaturalFruit.

What is an audit?

It is a systematic, independent and documented process, through which we can obtain evidence that allows us to verify compliance with the requirements of a given standard.

What are the benefits of being certified under a quality standard?

The purpose of being certified under a quality standard is to guarantee food safety, product quality and ensure compliance with the applicable legal requirements, as well as to prevent fraud, thus guaranteeing the protection of the end consumer.

Types of audits.

– Announced  the company can select the audit date within its audit window.

– Unannounced  the company does not have the power to choose the audit date.

Why opt for the unannounced audit programme?

The company’s request for the unannounced audit programme ensures transparency throughout the food chain.

Passing these audits enhances the confidence of customers and end-consumers in the company. They certify that the quality systems are continuously updated and can be assessed at any time without any inconvenience.

It is a way of giving our customers confidence in our processes.

La entrada We have renewed the BRCGS and IFS quality certifications se publicó primero en Bollo Naturalfruit.

To do this, we decided to make them some wicker baskets so that they would feel comfortable and take them as their home, but they did not pay any attention. We kept looking for the traces and tracing maps to see if we could find their nest, well, 6 years later we have succeeded!

The surprise has been enormous, as they have nested in an orange tree.

In addition, and as usual in the clutches of the birds of prey that decide to have young in our farm, the long-eared owl has had 5 chicks, the maximum clutch is between 5-6, which is an indication of the health of the farm.

La entrada The short-eared owl nests in our farm El Cerro se publicó primero en Bollo Naturalfruit.

Each animal was fitted with a metal ring containing a numerical code registered in a database where the date of ringing, the location and the species are reflected.

Thanks to the ringing, we can learn more about each species: its migration, longevity, mortality, feeding.

It is essential to know how and why populations change over time. For this reason, population monitoring is crucial to identify conservation problems and thanks to ringing we can carry out this tracking.

La entrada Bird ringing in Seville se publicó primero en Bollo Naturalfruit.

Lean Manufacturing is a management philosophy focused on maximising value not only for the customer but for the whole company and the people who make it up, through the reduction or elimination of waste and the continuous improvement of processes. In addition, an important point is the digitisation and reliability of information.

It originated in the Japanese automotive industry in the 1950s and was popularised by Toyota in the 1970s. The main focus of Lean Manufacturing is to improve quality, reduce costs and increase efficiency.

The wastes it seeks to eliminate or reduce are:

Overproduction: producing more than is needed, which generates unnecessary costs and the rest of the waste.

Defects: producing defective products that must be reprocessed or eliminated.

Waiting: any downtime waiting for a task to be completed or materials to be received.

Overprocessing: performing operations or tasks that are not necessary to produce the final product.

Transport: moving materials or products from one place to another without adding value.

Movements: unnecessary movements of people that are not ergonomically optimised and do not add value.

Inventory: holding large amounts of inventory to meet demand, which generates storage costs and possible obsolete material.

In summary, Lean Manufacturing has many benefits for the company, including reduced costs, improved quality, increased efficiency, improved lead time, greater flexibility and staff involvement. These benefits can help us improve profitability, become more competitive and increase customer satisfaction.

La entrada Lean Manufacturing in Bollo Natural Fruit se publicó primero en Bollo Naturalfruit.

How do we do it?

We select the top quality product and we sanitise it to remove any impurities from the skin. It is then left to drain until the rind has no visible signs of moisture.

Once dry, it is placed on the tray of the pneumatic slicer and cut into halves or quarters. Once cut, the internal quality is checked and any seeds that may be scattered around the cut are removed by hand.

The product is removed and passed to the conveyor belt which feeds it into the automatic shrink-wrapping chain. The chain initially wraps the product in a transparent film, which is then heated in a few seconds to create the so-called “second skin”, which fully protects the product.

Once the product has been shrink-wrapped, it goes directly to weighing and labelling. The scale automatically weighs each piece, printing a label that includes advice on storage temperature and consumption. Once the product has been weighed and labelled, it is packed manually in such a way that the pieces do not overlap in order to avoid crushing the pulp.

After packaging, the product is kept cold until it is loaded and then transported to the customer.

La entrada Bruñó presents its half-pieces melon and half and quarter pieces watermelon se publicó primero en Bollo Naturalfruit.

Its high brix level is one of its most important distinguishing features, making it one of the sweetest melons on the market.

Its medium size makes it versatile when it comes to quick consumption and easy to transport, aimed at new family models with fewer people and extended to our target public in a younger age range than usual, from 18 to 30 years old due to their lifestyle and smaller number of people in the household: Generation X Millenials, Generation Z and future Alphas.

A variety that comes from Korea and that we have adapted to European needs and standards of Bollo quality and taste, since the beginning of knowing it.

In addition, in 2021 it was selected by the consumer “Flavour of the Year” for its taste, appearance, smell, texture and overall satisfaction level.

 Would you like to try it?

La entrada Bollo Sweetheart Melon se publicó primero en Bollo Naturalfruit.

What is special about Verna lemons?

Venturing into the world of different varieties, we can say that the attributes of the Verna lemon are similar to that of the Fino, the most common variety in Europe. Verna lemons have an intense yellow colour, their skin is thicker than that of Fino lemons, and they have a characteristic long shape with pointed ends. It is a noteworthy variety as it has almost no seeds (only three or four per fruit) and a low acidity. Verna lemons originate from and are representative of the Vega del Segura area, although they are also grown in Andalusia, especially in Malaga province. In fact, it is a native Spanish species and unique in the world, giving it a special, distinct character.

We also have to mention that the season for these lemons perfectly complements the sales window for Fino lemons, given that the biggest proportion of the harvest takes place from the beginning of spring until the end of summer. This allows producers of European lemons grown in Spain to satisfy consumer demand.

The freshness of this lemon is linked to a very strict traceability system, which is applied from field to table and has a very low environmental impact. Thanks to all of this, we can safely say that European lemons are a healthy food with great benefits.

What are the properties of Verna lemons?

Lemons have lots of nutritional properties and health benefits, seeing as they are a natural food, fat free, and suitable for a healthy lifestyle. One of their most important properties is their high vitamin C content, which contributes to the normal formation of collagen and vitamin E. They also reduce fatigue and optimise the absorption of iron.

Without a doubt, the Verna lemon is one of the highest quality varieties in Spain, and special mention should go to its skin in the cooking industry, seeing as its texture helps to preserve its characteristic aroma. Likewise, its thickness increases its durability, allowing it to stay fresh for longer, and increasing the harvest window, so it can be enjoyed almost all year round. These characteristics make this lemon special and unique.

If you want to buy a lemon with a unique aroma, flavour and texture, choose The Natural Fruit.

About The Natural Fruit

The Natural Fruit Company is a union of the experience and vision of the future of leading companies in the citrus fruit sector, with a consolidated presence in large scale fruit distribution throughout Europe. A great team with proven experience now forms a great family, fully committed to the project, and keeping in mind sustainability, empathy, innovation and the excellence of their products.

La entrada Verna lemon characteristics and health benefits se publicó primero en Bollo Naturalfruit.

We bring you an enormous variety of products so you can incorporate them into your favourite dishes. Are you up for it? Here are a few tips and curious uses of citrus fruits in the kitchen, so you can use them to surprise and win over everyone.

Let’s begin with the most curious uses of citrus in the kitchen!

Did you know that you can use citrus juices in meat and fish stews? This especially applies to meat, which tends to go tough if not cooked properly. Orange or mandarin juice can quickly soften meat, balancing its fattiness and stopping it from going tough during cooking. It will also give the dish a gentle sweetness.

Take advantage of the versatility of citrus fruits!

You probably haven’t heard of soy and orange sauce. This tasty sauce is made from orange juice and soy sauce, and it can be used in a wide range of dishes, including roast chicken, pasta and even rice dishes.  Some people even add in a spoonful of honey. The mix of sweet flavours and the slightly acidic taste of the orange makes it exquisite. If you don’t believe us, we dare you to try it!

And of course, we should finish with a dessert.

Do you know what goes really well with mint, banana and yoghurt? We won’t keep you waiting… it’s lime and grapefruit! Adding some of the zest of these two citrus fruits to a banana-based ice-cream gives it a delicious and refreshing touch, and it also makes yoghurt extra creamy. Using citrus in the kitchen is always delicious. Be bold and make use of the versatility offered by citrus from The Natural Fruit!

La entrada The most curious uses of citrus in the kitchen se publicó primero en Bollo Naturalfruit.

What is green manure?

Normal fertilisation consists of providing the crops with the nutrients they need for growth and development, using manure or compounds with nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous – everything a plant needs.  However, the green manure process is completely different. It consists of planting legumes, grasses or cruciferous vegetables alongside our crops and later mixing them into the soil as organic material.

These plants require miniscule amounts of water to survive and they are quick to become established and grow in any type of soil.

How do these small plants benefit our crops?

Mainly, they increase the organic matter in the soil as they are mixed back into it. But their most beneficial characteristics are those which combat climate change: they fix nitrogen, carbon and other atmospheric elements, they control pest and disease attacks, and they protect against soil erosion.

Their high level of nitrogen fixing is due to the habitual relationship between the plants’ roots and bacteria. This symbiosis allows the bacteria to develop, thanks to the sustenance provided by the roots, and in turn, the plant gains various nutrients due to the bacteria’s fixing ability. Furthermore, their presence in the ground avoids soil erosion caused by climatic factors and agricultural activity.

In turn, certain pests and diseases prefer these plants instead of the crops, allowing us to reduce our use of phytosanitary products.

It is a sustainable practice which helps in the fight against climate change, increasing the amount of organic material in the soil and maintaining its structure, decreasing the presence of CO² in the atmosphere, and reducing the loss of humidity in the soil surface. In other words, its effects help to minimise the contamination, erosion and destruction of the soil, air and water of agricultural ecosystems.

The Natural Fruit is fully committed to this beneficial practice and our farms, which make up a total of 167 hectares, have many of these plants in among the crops. Moreover, these species suppose a significant increase in the biodiversity of the agricultural ecosystems, not just in terms of plants, due to the inclusion of different species of grass and legume, but also animals, due to the increased presence of different species that benefit the ecosystem.

As you have seen, green manure and these small plants can do so much and using them is a tremendously beneficial to our crops. The good results arising from this practice are a symbol of efficiency, sustainability and the fight against climate change, values which The Natural Fruit is proud to achieve and share.

Over 40 years of experience

The Natural Fruit Company is a union of the experience, tradition and vision of the future of three leading companies in the citrus fruit sector (Frugarva, Fruxeresa and Frutas Naturales), with a consolidated presence in large scale fruit distribution throughout Europe. After a lifetime of business, three generations are working together, forming a great team and a great family, committed to sustainability, empathy, innovation and the excellence of their products.

La entrada The Natural Fruit Company supports the use of green manure for environmental sustainability se publicó primero en Bollo Naturalfruit.