Sorting

Sorting is the systematic arrangement of foods into groups or grades, the separation of items by size, colour, ripeness, variety, or the removal of defective and foreign units. It may be done by hand on a picking belt, by mechanical graders that size by dimension or weight, or by optical and near-infrared sorters that detect colour defects, foreign material, and even internal faults at high speed. Good sorting protects quality, ensures the product meets grade standards, and keeps contaminants and damaged units out of the process line. It is one of the first and most cost-effective quality operations in packing houses and processing plants.