Thorough spraying and draining freshly cut produce and the equipment processing it in a one-pass system that uses a dilute solution of chilled ultrapure water and chlorine dioxide or chlorine or both significantly reduces bacterial counts. Raw produce is sprayed as it is conveyed to cutting heads and as the cut pieces fall into a hopper above a conveyor. The conveyed cut produce is vibrated and tumbled while being sprayed from above. At the end of the process, the cut produce is sprayed with potable water and deposited in a dryer basket. Drainage from the equipment is collected and processed through a multi-stage water filtration system to potable quality. The near freezing water temperature, its ultra-purity, and the concentrations of biocides in the sanitizing spray are carefully established, monitored and maintained by a process controller.

An electromechanical double-bladed fruit and vegetable peeling and cutting machine comprising a holding mechanism (1), a peeling mechanism (2), and a cutting mechanism (3) sequentially provided in a direction of fruit and vegetable processing. The holding mechanism receives and holds a fruit or vegetable, and pushes the fruit or vegetable toward the peeling mechanism for positioning. The peeling mechanism performs positioning, measures actual cutting height of the fruit or vegetable, and adaptively peels the fruit or vegetable by means of two peeling blades. The cutting mechanism removes a top and a bottom portion of the peeled fruit or vegetable, and cuts the fruit or vegetable into pieces. A processing method for the electromechanical double-bladed fruit and vegetable peeling and cutting machine is also disclosed, and comprises: using a holding mechanism to hold and fix a fruit or vegetable in a processing position; using a peeling structure to accurately measure the height of the fruit or vegetable to be processed; using two peeling blades to efficiently and adaptively peel the fruit or vegetable; and finally engaging a pushing cylinder (27), to sequentially push multiple fruits and vegetables toward a cutting blade (37) such that the fruits and vegetables are cut into pieces. A third telescopic cylinder participates in the processing steps by pushing cutting blades such that the bottoms and the tops of the fruits and vegetables are removed. The invention reduces processing time, and improves productivity.

An electromechanical double-bladed fruit and vegetable peeling and cutting machine comprising a holding mechanism (1), a peeling mechanism (2), and a cutting mechanism (3) sequentially provided in a direction of fruit and vegetable processing. The holding mechanism receives and holds a fruit or vegetable, and pushes the fruit or vegetable toward the peeling mechanism for positioning. The peeling mechanism performs positioning, measures actual cutting height of the fruit or vegetable, and adaptively peels the fruit or vegetable by means of two peeling blades. The cutting mechanism removes a top and a bottom portion of the peeled fruit or vegetable, and cuts the fruit or vegetable into pieces. A processing method for the electromechanical double-bladed fruit and vegetable peeling and cutting machine is also disclosed, and comprises: using a holding mechanism to hold and fix a fruit or vegetable in a processing position; using a peeling structure to accurately measure the height of the fruit or vegetable to be processed; using two peeling blades to efficiently and adaptively peel the fruit or vegetable; and finally engaging a pushing cylinder (27), to sequentially push multiple fruits and vegetables toward a cutting blade (37) such that the fruits and vegetables are cut into pieces. A third telescopic cylinder participates in the processing steps by pushing cutting blades such that the bottoms and the tops of the fruits and vegetables are removed. The invention reduces processing time, and improves productivity.

In an aspect, a process for removing a tail end of Brussels sprouts comprises separating a Brussels sprout from a stack and transferring it to a longitudinal transport track. On the track, the Brussels sprout is manipulated to position a longest dimension of the Brussels sprout perpendicular to a direction of travel of the transport track. Near an end of the track, a position and an orientation of each Brussels sprout is defined by photographic detection. Each Brussels sprout is removed from the transport track by a gripper. A position and an orientation of the gripper are defined using the detected position and orientation of the Brussels sprout to be removed. The gripper is re-oriented and moved along a knife to remove the tail end of the Brussels sprout. The Brussels sprout is removed from the gripper and collected.

Floor-standing equipment and methods that employ them use nylon netting to grate trim off the seedless flowers of female cannabis plants. The netting is formed into large cylindrical drum into which about five pounds of dried seedless flowers of female cannabis plants are loaded through a door flap in the netting. An electric motor or handcrank causes the load to tumble over and over a horizontal axle for 3-5 minutes at about 35-RPM. The trim drops through the netting down through a funnel bag into a plastic basin on the floor. The trimmed seedless flowers are then dropped out separately through the door flap in the netting and through the funnel bag into a second plastic basin on the floor.

Bowls and methods for scrubbing objects are disclosed. The bowls or optionally removable liners in the bowls include a plethora of bristles or mesh material which provides an abrasive surface against which objects can be scrubbed. The bowls may optionally incorporate extendable sections for the purpose of suspending the bowls from the sides of a sink. In one embodiment, a circular version of the bowl may be configured to double as a spinner bowl inside a salad spinner and in other embodiments apertures with abrasive material inside may be provided for scrubbing narrow items such as carrots. Larger industrial-size versions of the bowl may be constructed for use in restaurants, or for the purpose of scrubbing non-food products, such as mechanical parts. The shape, depth and diameter of the bowls as well as the type of abrasive materials used inside these bowls can vary to suit the application.

Bowls and methods for scrubbing objects are disclosed. The bowls or optionally removable liners in the bowls include a plethora of bristles or mesh material which provides an abrasive surface against which objects can be scrubbed. The bowls may optionally incorporate extendable sections for the purpose of suspending the bowls from the sides of a sink. In one embodiment, a circular version of the bowl may be configured to double as a spinner bowl inside a salad spinner and in other embodiments apertures with abrasive material inside may be provided for scrubbing narrow items such as carrots. Larger industrial-size versions of the bowl may be constructed for use in restaurants, or for the purpose of scrubbing non-food products, such as mechanical parts. The shape, depth and diameter of the bowls as well as the type of abrasive materials used inside these bowls can vary to suit the application.

A leaf removal apparatus for removing one or more wrapper leaves of a harvested produce and its method of use is provided. The apparatus includes a framework, a conveyor comprising a set of parallel rods having a space therebetween, a stripping roller, and a plurality of flexible members. The methods of using the apparatus include feeding a harvested produce onto a conveyor comprising a set of parallel rods having a space therebetween; transporting the harvested produce on the conveyor towards a stripping roller connected to a framework of the leaf removal apparatus; contacting the harvested produce with a plurality of flexible members connected to the framework, and the stripping roller, and loosening or removing one or more wrapper leaves of the harvested produce, wherein one or more of the removed wrapper leaves fall through the space between the rods of the conveyor.

A leaf removal apparatus for removing one or more wrapper leaves of a harvested produce and its method of use is provided. The apparatus includes a framework, a conveyor comprising a set of parallel rods having a space therebetween, a stripping roller, and a plurality of flexible members. The methods of using the apparatus include feeding a harvested produce onto a conveyor comprising a set of parallel rods having a space therebetween; transporting the harvested produce on the conveyor towards a stripping roller connected to a framework of the leaf removal apparatus; contacting the harvested produce with a plurality of flexible members connected to the framework, and the stripping roller, and loosening or removing one or more wrapper leaves of the harvested produce, wherein one or more of the removed wrapper leaves fall through the space between the rods of the conveyor.

In order to produce shish kebab skewers (100) in a substantially automated manner, the individual ingredients (98) are individually provided in cups (6) of a cup arrangement (7) including sequential cup rows (8a, b) and cup lines (12a, b) so that a skewer holder (3) in which plural skewers (99) are received in a row adjacent to one another respectively prongs the same ingredient (98) onto all its skewers (99) simultaneously in that it lowers relative to the cups in whose bases (17) pass through openings (32) are arranged so that the ingredients (98) in the cups (6) are pronged onto the skewers (99).