Advanced dicing technology to make more in modern markets

Landscape shaping activities in the German retail food market

Consumer behavior is significant in shaping the evolving landscape, and statistics show there are a number of interesting factors affecting the competitive landscape for retail food providers. Consider the unique, tailored shopping experience available to consumers today, with online, hypermarket, discount and traditional grocers all competing for attention. Along with this the number of German food retail stores has been reducing year after year for the past decade, yet consumer spending on food has grown steadily. The rise in the cost of living has resulted in lower restaurant spending but has seen a boost for ready meal providers. Consumer interest in food safety and sustainable consumption has risen steadily in Germany, a boon for retailers and suppliers able to provide regional, organic produce and species-appropriate animal products. 

The convergence of these trends signifies a market opportunity for businesses able to produce a variety of high-quality convenience items, fresh and frozen.

Traditional cutting methods, while offering artisanal appeal, often fall short of meeting the operational demands that modern businesses face when capitalizing on emerging market opportunities and shifting product lines as presented by consumer-focused research. Whether that be the trend of poké or an upsurge in BBQ ready cuts for early summers.

Solutions to build businesses

JBT Marel ensures processors can confidently meet these challenges with TREIF dicing solutions. Each dicer in the range provides incredible flexibility. With one machine businesses can dice, cut strips, grate, even slice an extensive variety of products. 

The advanced, robust dicers are tailored to businesses of every scale. From standalone, to full-line integrated, TREIF dicing solutions utilize sophisticated cutting technology and intelligent software ready to future-proof operations in an evolving marketplace. 

A dicing solution to meet every need

Every business has unique needs. Whether the operation is looking to expand capacity or diversity by moving into the growing vegan market by dicing tofu and tempeh, a butcher wanting to get more out of valuable end pieces after portioning raw or cooked meats, or a industrial processor needing a plug-and-play machine for overrun. Take, for example, the independent grocer dicing vegetables and salads with the TREIF FELIX on the premises, to take advantage of the demand for grab-and-go ready meals. 

TREIF dicers come in different sizes with varying speeds and capacities to meet the needs of artisanal butcheries, commercial kitchens, or mid-sized processors, whatever the production demand.

Customer-specific needs and calculations can affect throughput speeds, which is why JBT Marel experts work with customers to make sure they find the dicer that meets their unique needs. From the entry level flexibility of the FELIX (capacity of up to 600 kg per hour) to the low-weight, all-rounder ARGON+ (up to 1.2 tonnes per hour), or the TWISTER’s high-performance adaptability (up to 2 tonnes per hour), there’s a dicer to help every business make more from their valuable product.

NanoBlade® cutting prowess

Blade quality is a crucial factor in providing accurate cuts every time. NanoBlades® are used in all TREIF dicing solutions. Manufactured in-house, each blade is developed to perfectly match individual machines, ensuring the minimum distance between gridset and cutting blade; a prerequisite for premium dicing. The blades are designed for a long service life from high quality steel that enables fast sharpening to keep downtime to an absolute minimum. 

During cutting, the counter-rotation of the gridset blades works to stabilize products and increase cut length. This scissor cut mechanism ensures cuts remain accurate and consistently high quality, even when processing soft, crumbly, tender, or cooked products that traditionally present cutting challenges.

Eliminate pre-processing with large chamber capacity

To avoid precutting and quality inconsistencies seen with small infeed chambers, TREIF dicers come with large chamber capacity. Increasing line efficiency and reducing overall processing times. The optimized capacity minimizes manual handling and labor, factors that directly impact both food safety and operational efficiency. 

Chamber sizes: 

• FELIX: 96 x 96 x 300 mm
• FLEXON and ARGON+: 96 x 96 x 550 mm
• TWISTER RANGE: 120 x 120 x 550 mm

Whether dicing whole muscle cuts or blocks of cheese, the complete gridset is utilized by optimizing the chamber fill, resulting in precisely sized cubes and strips with minimal waste. The large chamber provides consistently uniform premium products that command premium prices.

Durability meets hygiene

Food safety remains paramount for consumer protection, brand reputation, and regulatory compliance. Equipment design serves as a critical factor in enabling processors to maintain the highest quality and standards across multiple product changeovers.

All TREIF dicers feature fully welded housing that eliminates crevices and joints, creating a seamless design that enables superior hygiene. The robust construction ensures TREIF dicers are capable of withstanding the demanding conditions found in food processing environments. 

The easy-to-open design facilitates maintenance, and thorough cleaning protocols that meet the most stringent food safety standards, including FDA and EFSA approval. Patented bearing sleeves protect products from contamination, to keep end-products high value and brand reputation strong.

Energy advantage

For today’s small and mid-sized processors to remain competitive against increasing operational costs and consumer demand, they need to think sustainably. TREIF dicing solutions combine Eco-dicing and Vatronic technology to dramatically reduce energy consumption and lower operational costs while maintaining high-quality end products.

Eco-dicing utilizes low inertia motors for precise control of the dicing process. Meanwhile, Vatronic technology determines the optimal pressure and speed requirements for gridsets and cut-off knives. By automatically adjusting the power levels to accommodate variations in product temperature and consistency, this intelligent cutting process ensures precision in every cut. Vatronic technology even compensates for blade wear in gridsets, reducing the risk of damage to valuable end-products. 

Comprehensive cutting beyond dicing

When businesses require cutting versatility beyond dicing, JBT Marel’s extensive portfolio provides specialized solutions to meet varying operational needs. 

The I-Cut 130 Portion Cutter delivers high-value portioning into fixed-weight and fixed-length portions for mid-sized processors and commercial kitchens. Integrated with advanced food processing software, the I-Cut 130 offers maximum programming flexibility. Its flexible cutting patterns optimize yield, ensuring each gram of valuable product is utilized regardless of style or order requirements. 

For butcheries, mid-sized processors and commercial kitchens ready to increase their cutting capacity and quality while maintaining the trust they’ve built with their customers, JBT Marel equipment offers the foundation for sustainable growth and confidence in a consumer led, evolving marketplace.

About JBT Marel

JBT Marel is a leading global provider of integrated technology, equipment, software, and services to the food and beverage industry. Driven by a singular purpose—to transform the future of food—we empower businesses to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving market.  

JBT Marel unites JBT and Marel, two pioneering companies with complementary strengths. With our combined portfolios, we’re exceptionally well-equipped to provide you with precisely the solutions you need. Whether you operate in animal protein, plant-based products, fresh produce, ready meals, beverages, or beyond, we’re here to support your success.