Raising the bar for our products

Belgian Confiture L’Ardennaise has made quality jams and marmalades since 1954. When they were looking for a vacuum cooker to optimize their production, they found the VARO processing unit, which has not only increased their productivity, but also significantly raised the quality of their products.

Confiture L’Ardennaise wanted to find a new and better way to cook their jams. CEO Bernard Verhamme explains: “We wanted something that was better than our old equipment. We made our jams in open kettles, which wasn’t very efficient and resulted in altering levels of quality. So we began looking into units which cooked and cooled under vacuum.”

The right solution

After scouting the market for possible vendors they decided to join forces with Danish process equipment manufacturer VARO. VARO has developed an innovative unit for vacuum cooking and cooling using the technology of horizontal processing. “It was obvious that VARO’s processing unit would optimize our cooking process“ says Bernard Verhamme “and after a few meetings we had no doubt that it was the right solution for us“.

The VARO Horizontal Processing Vessel

The VARO processing vessel uses an innovative agitator coil design, which quickly transfers heat or cold. Furthermore an aroma recovery unit recaptures aromas, which would otherwise get lost in the evaporation process. These aromas are then recycled back into the product increasing the natural flavor.

Efficient production

And Mr. Verhamme has not regretted choosing this solution: “With the VARO horizontal processing vessel we cook bigger quantities of jam a lot faster than before. It takes less manpower and the energy consumption is also a lot lower, because we cook for a shorter amount of time at a lower temperature.”

Award winning products

However, the biggest bonus for Confiture L’Ardennaise has been the increased quality of their end product. Bernard Verhamme explains: “The quality of our products has definitely been raised with VAROs cooking, cooling and mixing solution. We get a better and more constant quality and the aroma recovery function makes it possible to get very richly flavored products without adding any preservatives. This has definitely raised the bar for our products and played an important role in us winning 2 golden stars with the Superior Taste Award. So obviously I would recommend this unit for anyone else working within the food industry.”

Go to www.confiturelardennaise.com to learn more about the company or watch their video on the right hand side.

Learn more about VAROs horizontal processing vessel.