Astra Inc. has made two major improvements to its lineup of fruit peelers, said Ryo Takeshita, sales manager.

The first is a color display, which Takeshita said makes the operation of Astra equipment simpler and easier. In addition, the previous display had only numbers on its screens — the new one can hold much more detailed information.

The second improvement is the option of a de-coring attachment on Astra peelers.

“The recent model was only about peeling the pineapple,” Takeshita said. “Now we have a de-coring attachment, sold separately, which can remove the pineapple core after peeling.

In addition to its pineapple/ mango/ melon peeler, Astra makes peelers for apples/ oranges/ kiwis and other fruits.

Astra’s pineapple/mango/melon peeler continues to set the bar high for the industry. Astra’s peeler hits yields of 60%, compared to 45% for traditional pineapple peelers, Takeshita said.

Size is another area where Astra’s peelers stand out from the crowd, he added.

“Our peelers are compact and low-priced. Similar peelers in the market are huge, weighing over 200 kgs. Ours are just 20kgs, which makes it possible to ship with FedEx/ DHL, and easier to swap units on breakage.” Pricing is also lower than the competitive models, which makes it a great match for industry newcomers, Takeshita added.

With labor costs always on the rise, demand for fresh-cut fruits at grocery retail is surging, Takeshita said.

“The demand for an automatic peeler is extremely high. Since the peeling machine can process more and save labor costs at the same time, it is loved by multiple major grocery stores.”