TOMRA Food--the designer and manufacturer of sensor-based sorting machines and integrated post-harvest solutions for the food industry--has signed an agreement to acquire 100 percent of the shares in BBC Technologies. The deal sees BBC Technologies’ precision grading systems and innovative punnet and clamshell filling solutions for blueberries and other small fruits join TOMRA Food’s own fruit inspection and grading technology portfolio.  TOMRA will also acquire FreshTracker.com www.freshtracker.com, innovative software which TOMRA foresees complementing its other developments in data  and analytics solutions. Freshtracker™ enables traceability of the origins and characteristics of individual products from harvesting, processing and packaging, through to point-of-sale.

Mike Riley, head of TOMRA Food says: “This acquisition further increases TOMRA’s leadership in grading, sorting, and packaging solutions for fresh, packaged, and processed foods. Following the recent, successful integration of Compac, we are investing more into small fruit and reduced footprint deployments. We are also making large-scale investments to create new value for customers by extracting and analysing data from TOMRA equipment, which is complemented by the Freshtracker platform.  This is just one example of how combining the two companies will generate significant new value and transform the industry.

“With an ever-increasing consumer focus on superfoods such as blueberries, the addition of BBC Technologies to TOMRA’s portfolio allows us to better serve the needs of growers and packers. Combined with BBC Technologies, TOMRA now offers the world’s most complete small-fruit sorting and packaging portfolio for large to small pack-houses, and for the growing number of repack and fresh produce distribution centres worldwide.”

Geoff Furniss, head of BBC Technologies says: “Joining TOMRA provides the perfect platform to further enhance our technology and service offerings in all corners of the globe. As a company built by growers for growers, we respect TOMRA’s market leadership, which has been achieved through innovation and partnership with customers, consistent with the principles that have fuelled our own growth at BBC Technologies.”

“Customers of both companies will see continued dedication to meet and exceed their needs, including new support and service capabilities in all regions globally, so customers are never far from deep expertise. Beyond this acquisition, TOMRA is making other new investments in people, services, and technology to help customers optimise every aspect of their operations,” says Mike Riley.

BBC Technologies will operate as a division of TOMRA Food. Geoff Furniss will continue to lead BBC Technologies, reporting to Mike Riley, head of TOMRA Food. The immediate priority is to ensure customers see further increased levels of service and support offerings as BBC Technologies leverages the global network of offices and personnel TOMRA operates around the world.