How Intelligent, Sanitary Design Is Redefining Blueberry Grading

MOUNT WAVERLEY, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA - GP Graders has introduced its purpose-built sanitary blueberry grading system - a high-precision machine designed to deliver minimal maintenance downtime, industry-leading softness detection, advanced defect analysis, and operator-friendly control for modern packhouses.

Multiple units are now operating in blueberry facilities across several global markets, reflecting growing demand for higher hygiene standards and more intelligent fruit segmentation.

Sanitary Design Engineered for Real Packhouses

According to the recent release, this model has been designed specifically for wash-down environments in line with 3-A SSI sanitary principles. The machine eliminates flat surfaces to prevent water and residue accumulation, instead using rounded tubular stainless construction and sealed fittings throughout - including enclosed vision systems and protected electrical connections.

Blueberries create unique sanitation challenges due to natural juice build-up and residue accumulation. To address this, critical components such as belts and ejection assemblies can be quickly removed using simple locking pins, providing full access for pressure washing and end-of-shift cleaning.

The result is reduced downtime during cleaning, simplified maintenance access, and greater confidence for packhouses operating under strict food safety protocols.

World-Leading Softness Detection and Vision Precision

At the core of the system is a sealed stainless canopy housing advanced spectral vision technology. Each blueberry is analysed using:

• Three camera types per lane - colour, monochrome, and NIR
• Seven rotational images per fruit
• A total of 21 images processed per blueberry
• Speeds of approximately 45 berries per second

This level of data capture enables detection of bruising, soft spots, splitting, cracking, stem presence, shrivel, dehydration, size variation and colour defects.

Where the system truly differentiates itself is in its relative softness detection capability.

By combining NIR data with advanced image analysis across the berry’s full rotation, the grader identifies subtle firmness variations that are typically invisible to conventional systems. This allows packers to separate fruit not only by size and appearance, but by texture performance and storage potential.

The ability to accurately grade for firmness unlocks significant commercial advantage:

• Improved export segmentation
• Better alignment to shelf-life requirements
• Reduced spoilage risk
• More consistent premium pack quality

According to GP Graders, the system’s softness detection performance currently exceeds other available market solutions, positioning it at the forefront of blueberry grading technology.

The machine is available in multiple configurations - including 4, 8, 12 and 16-lane systems - allowing packhouses to scale capacity according to operational requirements. A 16-lane configuration, for example, is capable of processing approximately 2 – 3 tonnes per hour and integrates directly with automatic punnet and clamshell fillers, maintaining throughput without compromising grading accuracy.

See the full release here.