The global apple market continues to expand in both value and volume, supported by rising consumer demand for healthy and convenient food options. Capitalizing on this trend, Italian fruit processing machinery specialist PND is strengthening its focus on apples, a fruit it describes as central to its technology and product strategy.
With more than 7,000 apple varieties cultivated worldwide, apples remain a seasonal fruit with strong domestic and export demand. According to Daniele Mercurio, sales manager at PND, growing interest in fresh-cut produce has been a key driver of recent investments. “The apple, regarded as the queen of fruits, remains at the heart of our solutions,” Mercurio said, noting a sharp increase in demand for ready-to-use fruit products.
In response, PND has developed the PL8, a semi-automatic machine designed to peel, core, and slice apples. Available in configurations with two, four, or six stations, the PL8 is designed to suit different production capacities and operational needs. Mercurio described it as the company’s best-selling and most versatile machine, capable of processing up to 80 fruits per minute in continuous 24-hour operation, depending on the selected setup.
Throughput varies by model, ranging from 300 kilograms per hour for the PL4 to around 500 kilograms per hour for the PL8. Built entirely from food-grade stainless steel, the machine is designed to minimize manual labor while ensuring precise and gentle handling of the fruit. Apples are mechanically loaded onto a trolley and transferred into a peeling tube, where processing begins. Optional configurations allow for slicing or dicing, depending on customer requirements.
PND says its systems have evolved to handle a wide variety of fruits with different shapes and textures, including irregular varieties such as the Bramley apple, as well as Asian nashi pears, kiwis, and peaches. According to Mercurio, the machines offer advantages such as high-quality cutting, fast production speeds, reduced labor costs, easy cleaning and maintenance, and intuitive operation.
Customers, he added, value PND’s reliability across technology, innovation, after-sales support, and spare parts availability. The company’s expertise in the organoleptic properties of fruit, combined with ongoing research and development, has helped establish its reputation as one of the sector’s more innovative players.
The PL8 and other machines in PND’s portfolio have seen particularly strong uptake in Poland, Europe’s largest apple-producing country. PND currently serves around 60 active customers there, supplying single, multi-station, and fully automated processing lines. The company also highlighted a long-standing 20-year exclusive partnership in the Polish market.
Globally, PND has built a strong footprint across Europe, South America, North America, Australia, Africa, and Asia. Exports account for around 95% of its total revenue, underscoring the company’s reliance on international demand as the fresh-cut fruit segment continues to grow.
