Testimonial Schwartauer Werke GmbH & Co. KG – A company of the Hero Group – Germany

Manuela Neske, HACCP/GMP/Hygiene Officer

Can you briefly describe your company and your main area of business?

Schwartauer Werke GmbH & Co. KG, founded in 1899 in Bad Schwartau, Schleswig-Holstein, is one of Germany’s leading manufacturers of fruit prod-ucts and snacks. The company offers a diverse portfolio for both the retail and foodservice sectors, including jams, sweet and savory spreads, cereal and protein bars, as well as dessert sauces and syrups. Some of its most well-known brands include Schwartau Extra, Samt, Corny, and Mövenpick Gourmet Fruit Spreads. As the largest employer in the region, this family-owned company employs around 1,000 people across three production sites and achieved annual sales of over 415 million euros in 2024. Since 2002, Schwartauer Werke has been part of the internationally active Hero Group, headquartered in Switzerland and owned by the family of Dr. Arend Oetker. With over 125 years of experience, Schwartauer Werke stands for continuous development and sustainable growth. The company remains future-focused — with a clear commitment to quality, taste, responsibility, and innovation.

What made you consider Food Radar Systems, and how did you evaluate the investment?

We were looking for a solution to reliably detect fruit stones in our products, especially from fruits like cherries and apricots, which can be difficult to iden-tify due to their lower density. Our previous metal and X-ray detectors were not sufficiently effective for this purpose. We conducted a series of tests with different generations of the Food Radar equipment. With each round of testing, the results improved significantly, and we became increasingly convinced of the system’s capabilities. What ultimately led to our investment decision was the superior detection performance of the Food Radar system — it allowed us to identify more foreign bodies than our previous systems. In particular, we’d like to highlight the close and collaborative working relationship with the Food Radar team. The joint development of the system to fit our specific needs played a key role in our decision-making process.

What have been the most notable results or improvements since implementing our system?

Since implementing the Food Radar system, we’ve seen several key improvements. Most notably, we now achieve more stable and reliable results in detecting foreign bodies, particularly those that were previously difficult to identify with our metal or X-ray detectors. In addition, the system has allowed us to reduce the need for manual inspection, which has led to increased efficiency and optimized use of personnel. Overall, the integration of Food Radar has significantly enhanced the safety and consistency of our production processes.

How was your experience with our service, support, and the integration of the system into your production line?

Our experience with Food Radar’s service and support has been excellent. The service quality has always been outstanding — fast, committed, and highly collaborative. The integration of the system into our production line went smoothly, thanks to the strong engagement and close cooperation from the Food Radar team. Their responsiveness and proactive approach made the entire process efficient and effective.