Caro Nut Company improves product quality, increases yield with Key Technology’s hyperspectral sorter
Caro Nut Company connected a sorter to its plant network, allowing remote help from Key Technology as well as garnering data collection. Photo courtesy of Key Technology
February 10, 2022
Caro Nut Company, a producer of snacking nuts, nut butters and ingredients for major brands, private label customers and industrial food processors, had been losing good nutmeat to remove the shells during their process. For their nut butter line, the nut company selected Key Technology’s VERYX BioPrint sorter, which combines hyperspectral detection signals with color camera signals at the image pixel level to analyze a richer set of data about the materials it is sorting to improve detection performance and maximize process yield. Hyperspectral imaging utilizes many wavelengths of information to detect the chemometric and biological properties of objects. Multi-channel, high-resolution color cameras facilitate precise color grading and shape sorting. “Before we replaced our old sorter, we had to sacrifice a lot of good nutmeat in order to get the shells out. It took a lot of time and effort to re-sort the rejects and recover yield. All that changed with our new sorter,” says Gerard Lorenzano, plant manager at Caro Nut. “This powerful technology has improved our product quality and increased our yield by more than one metric ton of product a day.” 
“This powerful technology has improved our product quality and increased our yield by more than one metric ton of product a day.”
—Gerard Lorenzano, plant manager, Caro Nut
Combining hyperspectral imaging with color cameras, the unit inspects across a range of wavelengths within the near infrared spectrum as well as visible light to analyze a richer data set about the materials it is sorting. Data from the hyperspectral sensors and color cameras is fused at the pixel level using Key’s Pixel Fusion technology, producing a unique “signature” for each material substance to detect the chemometric and biologic properties of objects. This nut sorter finds and removes the widest variety of foreign material and even hard-to-detect defects like nuts with insect damage, rot and mold without false rejects, regardless of incoming defect loads, while shape sorting and color grading. “Detecting shells is difficult for traditional laser/camera sorters because, when shells are the same color as good nut meat, it can trick the sensors,” says Sonny Chhina, maintenance supervisor at Caro Nut. “This sorter is so effective, we’ve eliminated manual inspection on the line and moved that person to elsewhere in our plant. “We’re able to handle heavier loads of incoming shells and defects with this hyperspectral sorter,” Chhina adds. “We start by selecting the product recipe from the sorter’s memory. If the incoming load is very heavy, we may need to adjust the sensitivity of the settings a little, but that’s easy to do with just a couple of taps on the touchscreen. Then we’re good to go.”
Caro Nut’s new sorter features front- and rear-mounted hyperspectral sensors and high-resolution color cameras. It can sort up to eight metric tons of cashews, almonds, macadamia nuts and other nuts per hour. The nut producer connected its sorter to its plant network, allowing remote help from Key as well as tapping into data collection. “For example, our sorter is programmed to measure the attributes of the incoming product and its reject stream,” Chhina explains. “We use that information to be sure we’re ejecting exactly what we want to remove. We also give that data to our source managers so they can negotiate supplier payments based on incoming product quality.”
For more information, visit www.key.net .

Sorting is no shell game

August 18, 2021
Caro Nut Company is a producer of snacking nuts, nut butters, and ingredients for major brands, private label customers and industrial food processors. Its commitment to food safety, which drives its success, led them to Key Technology. For its nut butter line, Caro Nut selected Key’s new VERYX BioPrint sorter. As the world’s only sorter that combines hyperspectral detection signals with color camera signals at the image pixel level, this new technology removes more shells, more foreign material (FM) and more product defects, all while increasing yield. “With VERYX BioPrint, we get the high quality product we need and we’ve reduced our operating costs at the same time,” said Gerard Lorenzano, Plant Manager at Caro Nut. “Before we replaced our old sorter, we had to sacrifice a lot of good nut meat in order to get the shells out. It took a lot of time and effort to re-sort the rejects and recover yield. All that changed with our new sorter. VERYX BioPrint removes exactly what we want and nothing more. It’s phenomenal. This powerful technology has improved our product quality at the same time it’s increased our yield by more than one metric ton of product a day.” 
Combining hyperspectral imaging with color cameras, VERYX BioPrint inspects across a broad range of wavelengths within the near infrared (NIR) spectrum as well as visible light to analyze a richer data set about the materials it’s sorting. Data from the hyperspectral sensors and color cameras is fused at the pixel level using Key’s Pixel Fusion technology, producing a unique "signature" for each material substance to detect the chemometric and biologic properties of objects. This versatile nut sorter finds and removes the widest variety of FM and even hard-to-detect defects like nuts with insect damage, rot and mold without false rejects, regardless of incoming defect loads, while also shape sorting and color grading. “Detecting shells is difficult for traditional laser/camera sorters because, when shells are the same color as good nut meat, it can trick the sensors. VERYX BioPrint uses hyperspectral technology to look at the moisture content of objects. It sees low moisture in shells and kicks them out,” explained Sonny Chhina, maintenance supervisor at Caro Nut. “This sorter is so effective, we’ve eliminated manual inspection on the line and moved that person to elsewhere in our plant.”
“We’re able to handle heavier loads of incoming shells and defects with this hyperspectral sorter,” added Chhina. “We start by selecting the product recipe from the sorter’s memory. If the incoming load is very heavy, we may need to adjust the sensitivity of the settings a little, but that’s easy to do with just a couple of taps on the touchscreen. Then we’re good to go.”
Caro Nut’s VERYX BioPrint C140 features front- and rear-mounted hyperspectral sensors and high resolution color cameras. It can sort up to 8 metric tons of cashews, almonds, macadamia nuts and other nuts per hour. “We’ve connected our VERYX BioPrint to our plant network, which is a great asset for us. If we reach out to Key for support, they’re able to jump on and work with the sorter remotely to help us maintain peak performance,” noted Chhina. “We’re tapping into VERYX’s data collection capability as well. For example, our sorter is programmed to measure the attributes of the incoming product and its reject stream. We use that information to be sure we’re ejecting exactly what we want to remove. We also give that data to our source managers so they can negotiate supplier payments based on incoming product quality.”
“To be clear, this is about much more than a new machine. Key is our strategic partner—we share the same objectives and they’re committed to our success. They help us produce the safest, best quality products while reducing our costs,” concluded Lorenzano. “We appreciate their focus on elevating standards of performance and leading the industry with new technology development. Bottom line: Key gives us new capabilities that improve our operations.”
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Caro Nut improves product quality, increases yield with VERYX BioPrint Hyperspectral Sorter

Caro Nut Company
July 6, 2020 | Announcements
Cyprium Investment Partners, a non-control private equity firm, has completed a new subordinated debt investment in Caro Nut Company, with the proceeds used to fund Caro’s continued growth by providing working capital flexibility. This investment was completed on June 19th and will reside in Cyprium Investors V, a $445 million fund that closed in March. Caro marks the group’s 82nd non-control investment during its 22-year history. Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Fresno, CA, Caro sources, roasts, mills, and distributes roasted nuts and specialty nut butters to retailers on a private label basis, wholesalers, and industrial food manufacturers globally. The company ethically sources a wide variety of nuts from across the world and produces high-quality dry roasted, oil roasted, organic, and pasteurized non-peanut culinary nut products. Nut varieties include cashews, almonds, macadamias, pecans, Brazil nuts, pistachios, and hazelnuts. “Cyprium is excited to form this new partnership with the Caro management team,” said Leland Lewis, a Partner at Cyprium. “Over the last 12 years, Caro has rapidly grown into becoming one of the premier nut processors in the U.S. by providing high quality products and fostering an ethical, sustainable, and traceable supply chain for nuts. We are looking forward to working with the management team to support the continued evolution of the business.”
Sawaya Partners, LLC acted as exclusive financial advisor and placement agent to Caro and its parent company, Candor-AGS, in connection with the transaction, with Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP acting as legal advisor. Baker & Hostetler LLP acted as legal advisor to Cyprium Investment Partners. ABOUT CYPRIUM PARTNERS
Cyprium Partners is a private equity and mezzanine firm focused on non-controlling investments in profitable middle-market companies, allowing company owners and their management teams to retain a controlling interest in their businesses. Cyprium provides common equity, preferred stock, subordinated debt, or any combination thereof, offering flexibility and increasing the certainty of close. With offices in Cleveland, New York, and Chicago, the firm invests $10 million to $60 million per transaction in U.S. and Canadian companies with $8 million or more of EBITDA.

Cyprium Partners Announces Non-Control Investment in Caro Nut Company

Losses for all four years combined were nearly $7.6 million, the group reports. “It’s made my life miserable,” said Todd Crosswell, general manager of Caro Nut Co.
Caro was victimized six times last year for a total loss of $1.2 million. In each case, thieves stole cashews imported from Vietnam and Africa that were roasted, salted and packaged in Fresno. “You get hit with that kind of loss — it hurts,” Crosswell said. The value of nuts grown and processed in California, the nation’s leading agricultural state, have soared in recent years as global demand for the health-food snack grows in places such as China and emerging economies. California produces more almonds, walnuts and pistachios than any other state with a combined value of $9.3 billion in 2014. Almonds alone were valued at $5.9 billion, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The high value of nuts grabbed the attention of criminal organizations, who are exploiting weaknesses in the cargo shipping industry to reap big profits, said Dan Bryant, supervisory special agent for the violent and organized crimes programs of the FBI Sacramento office. Bryant declined to identify any organizations under suspicion, citing an ongoing criminal investigation. “It’s not just some teenage kids ripping off nuts,” he said. “These are sophisticated people.”
Local authorities are also taking action. One state lawmaker has introduced a bill to fund a statewide taskforce targeting all types of cargo thefts. And law enforcement officials and nut processors are meeting Thursday to share information to help prevent more nut thefts. Alarmed by a spike in large-scale nut thefts, Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux last year beefed up his agriculture crimes unit from two to six detectives. In 2013, his office investigated a $189,000 pistachio theft. No cases were reported the next year, but in 2015, six loads of almonds and pistachios were stolen at a combined loss of $1.6 million. Investigators tracked at least one load to Los Angeles and made one arrest. Boudreaux declined to name the suspect due to the ongoing investigation. “They do tend to have some overseas connections,” said Scott Cornell, an investigator for Travelers Insurance and an expert on cargo thefts. “Wherever they can sell it and move it they’re going to.”
Crosswell said he’s put in place new safeguards with hopes he doesn’t fall victim once more, taking photographs and finger prints of the roughly 25 truck drivers each day that pull up to the shipping docks. Despite these effort, Crosswell said he fears the criminals will strike again. “Whoever they are, they’re watching,” Crosswell said. “They’ll try it again. They’ll figure out how to beat the system. We just have to stay one step ahead of them.”
SCOTT SMITH
Custom-curated news highlights, delivered weekday mornings. Morning Brief


APNewsBreak: Thieves targeting California almonds, walnuts

Thieves targeting California almonds, walnuts
California nut thefts
Scott Smith / AP
Todd Crosswell, general manager of Caro Nut Co., holds a packaged jar of almonds at the company's nut processing plant on April 13 in Fresno, Calif.
Todd Crosswell, general manager of Caro Nut Co., holds a packaged jar of almonds at the company's nut processing plant on April 13 in Fresno, Calif.
(Scott Smith / AP)
Tribune news services Contact Reporter
International crime rings targeting California's booming agriculture industry are increasingly stealing truckloads of high-value nuts, prompting authorities and the firms falling victim to ramp up efforts to break the spree costing millions. The sophisticated organizations in many cases use high-tech tactics, hacking into trucking companies to steal their identity. Armed with false shipping papers, they pose as legitimate truckers, driving off with loads of nuts such as almonds, walnuts or pistachios valued at $150,000, and some worth $500,000 each. Days later, when a shipment fails to arrive to its intended destination, the nuts may already be in another state or on a ship destined for Europe or Asia, where they fetch top dollar on the black market, authorities say. Last year, nut thefts hit an all-time high in California — with losses totaling $4.6 million from 31 reported cases, more than the three previous years combined, according to CargoNet, an alliance of cargo shipping firms and law enforcement agencies aimed at preventing losses. Losses for all four years combined were nearly $7.6 million, the group reports. "It's made my life miserable," said Todd Crosswell, general manager of Caro Nut Co.
Caro was victimized six times last year for a total loss of $1.2 million. In each case, thieves stole cashews imported from Vietnam and Africa that were roasted, salted and packaged in Fresno. "You get hit with that kind of loss — it hurts," Crosswell said. The value of nuts grown and processed in California, the nation's leading agricultural state, have soared in recent years as global demand for the health-food snack grows in places such as China and emerging economies. (Roberto A. Ferdman)
California produces more almonds, walnuts and pistachios than any other state with a combined value of $9.3 billion in 2014. Almonds alone were valued at $5.9 billion, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture . The high value of nuts grabbed the attention of criminal organizations, who are exploiting weaknesses in the cargo shipping industry to reap big profits, said Dan Bryant, supervisory special agent for the violent and organized crimes programs of the FBI Sacramento office. Bryant declined to identify any organizations under suspicion, citing an ongoing criminal investigation. "It's not just some teenage kids ripping off nuts," he said. "These are sophisticated people. "
Local authorities are also taking action. One state lawmaker has introduced a bill to fund a statewide taskforce targeting all types of cargo thefts. And law enforcement officials and nut processors are meeting Thursday to share information to help prevent more nut thefts. Alarmed by a spike in large-scale nut thefts, Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux last year beefed up his agriculture crimes unit from two to six detectives. In 2013, his office investigated a $189,000 pistachio theft. No cases were reported the next year, but in 2015, six loads of almonds and pistachios were stolen at a combined loss of $1.6 million. Investigators tracked at least one load to Los Angeles and made one arrest. Boudreaux declined to name the suspect due to the ongoing investigation. "They do tend to have some overseas connections," said Scott Cornell, an investigator for Travelers Insurance and an expert on cargo thefts. "Wherever they can sell it and move it they're going to. "
Crosswell said he's put in place new safeguards with hopes he doesn't fall victim once more, taking photographs and finger prints of the roughly 25 truck drivers each day that pull up to the shipping docks. Despite these effort, Crosswell said he fears the criminals will strike again. "Whoever they are, they're watching," Crosswell said. "They'll try it again. They'll figure out how to beat the system. We just have to stay one step ahead of them. "
Associated Press


Thieves targeting California almonds, walnuts

Key Technology is a designer and manufacturer of digital sorting, inspection, conveying and processing equipment.

Key Technology

For its nut butter line , Caro Nut selected Key 's new VERYX sorter .

Caro Nut

Candor AGS

Universitat Rovira i Virgili

PortAventura

Private Equity

Caro Nut provides healthy and sustainable nut products to consumers. Caro Nut processes cashews, almonds, Marcona almonds, Brazi's pistachios, macadamias, pecans and hazelnuts.

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