Belgian scientists use AI to perfectly peel potatoes

A Belgian startup, Polysense, is offering solutions to reduce waste in the food industry by combining technology and operational intelligence. Founder and CEO Yarne De Munck emphasizes that the company’s mission is to help producers work more efficiently, sustainably, and profitably, especially as production volumes grow and quality standards tighten.

The company started as a student project and, in less than three years, has grown from three to nearly thirty employees. Initially working across various sectors, from pharmaceuticals to dredging, Polysense discovered the greatest impact could be achieved in the food industry. Today, it operates in seven countries, including Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK, Spain, and Dubai, serving clients such as Aviko, Agristo, Darta, and Tummers.

In fresh produce processing, raw material variability is the biggest challenge. “No two potatoes are identical, while clients like McDonald’s expect uniform products. Production parameters must constantly be adjusted, and static approaches generate significant waste,” explains De Munck. Polysense addresses this with two systems: Qualify for automated quality control and AutoControl for automatic process adjustments.

For example, when peeling potatoes, brushes and peeling settings are dynamically adjusted to remove exactly the right amount of skin, reducing waste, improving quality, and shortening production time. This technology is also applicable to carrots, peppers, tomatoes, and industrial bakeries.

Polysense demonstrates that technology and sustainability can go hand in hand. Continuous quality control and automation improve operator efficiency and prevent tons of product from being wasted—especially critical at high production volumes. International demand for the company’s solutions is growing, and its goal is to become a global leader in operational intelligence for the fresh produce sector within the next five years.

Tags: Belgium, potato, AI