Matilda Foods Broccoli Processing Facility

Matilda Fresh Foods is Australia’s largest private producer and exporter of broccoli and onions, serving established markets across Asia.

OBJECTIVES

The Matilda project started out with Matilda Foods asking Wiley to assist with trials for some new processes.  It was then decided that a new factory was necessary and the brief was to develop a food grade facility, not the standard on-farm packing shed.

Processes include high humidity cold storage, floretting, washing, blanching and cooling the broccoli before packing for local and export markets.

CHALLENGES

• Applying world best practice principles to meet demanding regulatory requirements
• Coordinating complex and extensive building services and process equipment components within the project delivery schedule.

SOLUTIONS

Advice

Advice for feasibility including:

• Process layouts to determine factory layout and size
• Budget costs based on concept plans
• Process layouts.

Design

• Complete design of the facility for all building and services for the new facility
• Responsibility for council approvals.

Engineering

• Process layouts developed to determine building requirements
• Sourcing, assessment and procurement of equipment from UK and USA
• Assistance in developing custom built packing equipment
• Support to Matilda Foods with a robotic broccoli head grading system.

Construction

• Project management and construction under a single point of responsibility system
• Site supervision of local and Brisbane based specialist subcontractors.

RESULTS

Wiley delivered an efficient processing facility enabling Matilda Fresh Foods to move from Producer to Processor and secure new high quality export markets.