Harvest Fresh Cuts vegetable processing plant

Harvest Fresh Cuts is a producer of minimally processed ‘fresh pack’ salads and vegetable products for major supermarket retailers and independent food outlets.

OBJECTIVES

Harvest contracted Wiley to design and construct a 2,800m² food processing plant at Wacol in Brisbane.

The company sought a two-level plant with four temperature-controlled processing rooms and other facilities.

The new facilities requirements included excellent handling and throughput, and methods of conserving resources for environmental protection and cost savings.

CHALLENGES

• Designing for excellent handling and throughput and innovative measures for saving energy and water
• Achieving a constant temperature-, and humidity-controlled environment for the processing rooms
• Complying with stringent health and hygiene regulations
• Designing to accommodate future expansion.

SOLUTIONS

Design

• Design of a completely refrigerated processing space, temperature controlled at around 20º with a humidity range from low to high
• Design of layout for maximum throughput
• Inclusion of water management measures, particularly for handling and cleaning operations
• Design for compliance with health and hygiene requirements
• Inclusion of allowance to expand the facility by up to 200 per cent to meet future growth
• Design of four main processing areas (for raw product receiving, trimming, cleaning, and packing and dispatch), administration offices, training rooms and staff facilities, a carton store, a dispatch office, maintenance rooms, and plant and switch rooms on the ground floor
• Design of production management offices and viewing corridors on the upper floor.

Engineering

• Insulation of the entire building to maintain the controlled temperature in the processing rooms and to reduce energy consumption
• Coordination of services and assurance that imported, specialised processing equipment was compatible with Australian requirements and conditions.

RESULTS

A superior food processing facility offering Harvest Fresh Cuts excellent handling and throughput, and energy and water conservation measures.

This world class complex ensures the client’s potential for future expansion as the company continues to meet demand for minimally processed fresh, healthy and conveniently packed food products.

On completion, the Harvest Fresh Cuts facility was recognised as one of the most advanced food processing plants in the world.