Founded in 1896, the cooperative Felleskjøpet Agri has been at the forefront of Norway’s innovative agricultural development and technological advancement for over 125 years. As the Norwegian grain market regulator, the cooperative empowers more than 37,500 members by enhancing their economic strength and global competitiveness. Through strategic investments in state-of-the-art facilities for handling and storing agricultural products, including cereals and beans Felleskjøpet Agri plays a vital role in supporting the agricultural community.
New Standards for Rye
At the forefront of technological advancement, Felleskjøpet Agri turned to Cimbria to optimize its rye sorting capabilities in Larvik, improving efficiency and ensuring compliance with upcoming EU regulations.
Historically linked to the witch trials and the death of a Norwegian Viking King, ergot, a fungus living on rye, has been known to cause disease for centuries and is removed from unprocessed rye by ever-advancing technologies. The European Union is implementing stricter maximum contaminant levels for rye intended for human consumption, effective in 2025. Notably, the tolerance for ergot alkaloids—toxic byproducts of the Claviceps fungus—was reduced from 0.5g/kg to just 0.2g/kg.
As Norway’s exclusive supplier of rye for human consumption, Felleskjøpet Agri is committed to upholding the highest standards of end products while ensuring compliance with the coming EU regulations. Zhanna Zhehet, Sales Manager Optical Sorting at Cimbria, happily provided expert guidance and cutting-edge technology to support Felleskjøpet Agri to reach their purity goals. “Cimbria Optical Sorters are designed to achieve ultimate precision and supreme efficiency in the cleaning of rye and other grains to ensure the outcoming product meets strict EU regulations that set the norms for levels of ergot and other contaminants in the unprocessed grains. SEA.IQ PLUS is equipped with an innovative inspection system where the advanced camera and sensor technology is tailor-combined with the last-generation disruptive AI-powered software, BRAINTM. It is the most advanced solution in the market nowadays and it helps our customers comply with the tight regulations and enhance the quality of their final products, that, in its turn, generates profit for their business,” says Zhanna Zhehet.
SEA.IQ PLUS Empowers Norwegian Agri-Innovation
After extensive research, Felleskjøpet selected Cimbria's innovative new SEA.IQ PLUS Optical Sorter to enhance sorting capabilities at their Larvik location. Installed in 2023, this vision-sorting technology incorporates cutting-edge machine learning. RGB, NIR, and SWIR cameras detect and remove contaminants as small as 0.08mm from bulk grain streams. "The SEA.IQ PLUS is the first optical sorting machine for rye in Norway and we are proud to lead the way in efficient sorting of grains. This market-leading optical sorter lets us efficiently sort ergot at an unprecedented level," remarks Øystein Lofstad, Site manager, Felleskjøpet Agri Larvik. Performance data consistently shows sorting rates below the stringent 0.2g/kg EU limit, even with natural variability in incoming grain batches.
Peace of Mind Through Partnership
With its pioneering spirit and strategic technology choices, Felleskjøpet Agri stands at the forefront of Norwegian agriculture. By future-proofing compliance with the SEA.IQ PLUS, the cooperative reinforces its commitment to progressive collaboration and safe high-quality grain handling for its customers. “It has been a great pleasure working with Felleskjøpet’s strong team of experts to determine the best solution for their operation and mission”, Cimbria Sales Manager, Zhanna Zhehet says. "Cimbria's expertise ensures this forward-looking investment will support our quality leadership for years. The advanced technology of the SEA.IQ PLUS allows us to effectively sort ergot from the rye while maintaining the highest quality," Øystein Lofstad concludes.
Read more about SEA. IQ PLUS here.
