From potato to fresh vacuum-packed fry: our manufacturing process

At Kroustis, the Nouryla group's fries brand, we have made a clear choice: FRESH vacuum-packed fries, never frozen. No IQF, no negative cold chain: only fresh, vacuum-packed in 10 kg bags, 11x11 cut, with a 7-day shelf life. A standard that changes everything in the kitchen. Journey through our manufacturing process, on our single Trappes (78) site.

Sourcing: under 250 km from Paris, as a priority

It all starts in the fields. Kroustis prioritizes local sourcing: our growers are selected within a radius of less than 250 km around Paris, ideally engaged in an HVE (High Environmental Value) approach. This short sourcing reduces our carbon footprint and guarantees a raw material harvested at optimal maturity.

To ensure supply continuity outside the French season, we complement through Dutch and Belgian partnerships, two European basins renowned for the quality of their firm-flesh varieties. Each big bag of potatoes received carries a unique identifier: it's the starting point of our downstream traceability, from field to customer delivery note.

« Fresh vacuum-packed fries are a choice of flavour and naturalness. No freezing, no thaw cycle: we keep the fibre, we keep the sugar, we keep the soul of the potato. And 70% of our production is made with the skin on, because that's where the character lies. »

The 7-step process: 3.5 tonnes per hour

Our production line transforms up to 3.5 tonnes of potatoes per hour, following a rigorous 7-step process, with no freezing whatsoever, no industrial pre-frying. Each step is traced and controlled:

• 1. Primary sorting: removal of non-conforming tubers right at the line entry
• 2. High-pressure washing: thorough cleaning without damaging the skin (Kroustis signature)
• 3. Conditional peeling: 70% of fries keep their skin (La Rustik range), 30% are peeled for L'Authentik
• 4. 11x11 cutting: precise cut for even cooking at the customer's site
• 5. Secondary sorting: visual and automated removal of non-conforming sticks
• 6. Cold rinsing and blanching: removal of surface starch, without destructive thermal shock
• 7. Controlled centrifugal drying: controlled moisture level before bagging

Packaging is fully automated: vacuum packing in 10 kg bags, labelling, storage in the 2-4°C buffer cold room. It's fresh, the real deal: never frozen, never reconstituted.

7-day shelf life, transition to MAP: the freshness roadmap

Today, our vacuum-packed fries carry a 7-day chilled shelf life. A demanding standard that structures all our logistics: 5pm cut-off, D+1 dawn delivery, fast rotation across our 300+ active customers. We are preparing a major evolution: the gradual move to MAP packaging (Modified Atmosphere Nitrogen-CO2), which will extend shelf life to 12-15 days with no additives or treatment.

On the quality side, regular laboratory checks verify the microbiological, physico-chemical and organoleptic conformity of every batch produced. The lot number on the delivery note matches exactly the processed potato batch: end-to-end traceability driven by our CorLink ERP.

Recommended cooking: double cooking at the customer's site

To unlock the full potential of our fresh vacuum-packed fries, we recommend double cooking: blanching at 140-150°C for 4 minutes, then a finish at 180-190°C for 2 minutes. The result: a fry that is crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, and that truly tastes like potato.

On the environmental side, we have invested in a recent water treatment plant that recycles production water, and we recover all potato waste in dedicated bins (animal feed, methanization). A concrete approach that aligns with our ISO 14001 trajectory.