This course includes 10 chapters:

• Harvest
  The different harvesting systems of each nut and dried fruit are described in this lesson. Although there are many common elements, operations differ according to the type of crop. This lesson also covers the basic hygiene practices for the elimination of potential sources of contamination during harvesting.

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• Shelling
  This lesson gives a historical background of shelling, from ancient times to current technologies and trends. The main mechanical cracking systems for several types of nuts are briefly described in this section.

  Mr. José Roig Borrell | Borrell©

• Blanching
  This lesson gives a historical background of blanching, and describes the differences between dry blanching (only applicable to peanuts and hazelnuts) and wet blanching -a more complicated technique.

  Mr. José Roig Borrell | Borrell©

• Drying
  This lesson describes the objectives and importance of drying, how the process works and what steps are involved. Existing types of dryers and methods are also explained.

  Mr. Thomas Barber | Bühler Aeroglide

   

• Optical Sorting
  This lesson discusses the benefits of optical sorting and provides an overview of the different types of sensor technology commonly used in the nut and dried fruit business, as well as available platforms.

  Mr. Brendan O’Donnell | TOMRA Food 

• Pasteurization
  This lesson describes the different pasteurization processes currently available to eliminate pathogens and the validation process to demonstrate the effectiveness of the process.

  Dr. Cameon Ivarsson | Napasol

• Fumigation with phosphine
  This section sets out the minimum requirements for safe and effective fumigation using phosphine gas, from pest prevention through preplanning of the treatment, transportation and storage of the fumigant, application, monitoring, ventilation, gas-free release, disposal of degassed carrier material and record keeping.

  Mr. Klaus Ihrig | Detia Degesch

• Storage
  As nuts and dried fruits are non-perishable commodities which can be stored for a long time, proper storage conditions are crucial to preserve the safety and quality of the products. This lesson describes the main food-safety and quality concerns that might arise during the storage period, as well as the major factors influencing quality and shelf life.

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• Frying and Dry Roasting
  This chapter describes the most important industrial processes to alter and enhance the flavor of peanuts and tree nuts -frying and roasting. It includes an overview of the available methods and the differences between them.

  Dr. Ing. Malte Ahrens | former Process Engineer, Bühler Aeroglide

• Flavoring
  This lesson addresses the importance of seasoning –developing a flavored snack from a base product. The components of seasoning and the different application systems are described here.

  Mr. David Woollard | former Group Product Manager, tna Solutions

Mr. Vincent Rieckmann | August Töpfer & Co. (Course Coordinator)

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Prof. Dr. Kandarp Mehta | IESE Business School