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18 line items in process order, each with its tag, specification, quantity, power and an indicative unit price.
3 t capacity · 1.5 × 1.5 m SS deck · ticket printer
Weighs every incoming crate lot against the supplier delivery note for payment and traceability.
1.5 t/h · 6 m rotating rollers · 8 grading stations · LED lighting
Rotates fruit under bright light so graders can pull rejects and split ripeness classes.
1.5 t/h · air-bubble agitation · spray rinse · PAA dosing pump
Tumbles fruit in sanitised water to lift soil and cut the microbial load before cutting.
SS304 · 2.4 m · 6 stations each · 82 °C knife steriliser
Hand peeling of mango, hulling of strawberries and trimming, with knives sterilised between cuts.
Up to 1 t/h · 10/15/20 mm cubes & slices · SS316 contact parts
Cuts peeled mango cheeks into uniform cubes or slices so they freeze evenly.
≈ 3,000 fruit/h · size-adjustable cups · stone ejector
Splits each avocado, removes the stone and presents halves for hand peeling.
400 kg/h · 1.5 mm finisher screen · 300 L vacuum mixer
Turns peeled avocado flesh into smooth pulp mixed with antioxidant under vacuum to stop browning.
1 t/h · 800 L SS tank · 60–90 s immersion · dosing & recirculation
Submerges cut fruit in an ascorbic/citric acid solution so avocado and mango keep their colour.
1 t/h · perforated SS deck · 2.2 kW blower air knife
Shakes and blows off surface water so pieces freeze free-flowing instead of in clumps.
30 t · 20 bar / −20 °C · PU insulation · refrigeration unit · telemetry
Stores about three days of food-grade liquid CO₂ and feeds the tunnel and pelletiser.
500 kg/h · 1.2 × 12 m mesh belt · −70 °C · snow nozzles + gas exhaust
Blasts CO₂ snow onto the fruit so pieces reach −18 °C at the core in minutes with minimal drip loss.
500 kg/h · chilled potable water spray · 3–5 % glaze
Adds a thin ice glaze that protects frozen pieces from freezer burn in long storage.
100 kg/h · 3 & 16 mm dies · hydraulic press · 4 insulated 300 kg bins
Converts liquid CO₂ into dense dry-ice pellets that keep air-freight boxes frozen for 72 hours.
10-head · 0.5–2.5 kg bags · 30 bags/min · frozen-product version
Weighs free-flowing frozen pieces into sealed, lot-coded retail and food-service bags.
Fe 2.0 · non-Fe 2.5 · SS 3.0 mm · air-blast reject · IP69K
Checks every bag and carton for metal and rejects contaminated packs automatically.
200 t · ≈ 250 pallets · 150 mm PU panels · twin condensing units
Holds packed product at −25 °C until reefer or air-freight dispatch.
8 fixed O₂/CO₂ sensors · beacons & sirens · low-level extraction fans
Alarms and ventilates automatically if CO₂ rises or oxygen falls in the freezing and dry-ice areas.
Refractometer · pH meter · probe thermometers · incubator · autoclave
Tests Brix, dry matter, core temperature and microbiology for every production lot.
Indicative ex-works prices (US$, 2026) for budgeting a sample project, not quotations. Photos are illustrative of each machine class.
12 unit operations in order, with the equipment that performs each and its control point.
| Step | Operation | Equipment | Control point |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Receiving & weighingCrates are weighed, sampled and logged against the grower and field of origin. | WB-101 Receiving Platform Scale |
Supplier lot ID · fruit temp · spray-record check |
| 02 | Sorting & gradingGraders remove bruised, rotten and under-ripe fruit and split ripe classes for each product.Rejects → compost | SG-102 Roller Sorting & Inspection Conveyor |
Ripeness (Brix / firmness) · defects < 5 % |
| 03 | Washing & sanitisingFruit is bubble-washed in peracetic acid solution, then spray-rinsed with potable water.Wash water → effluent | WS-201 Bubble Washer with Sanitiser Dosing |
PAA 40–80 ppm · water changed every 4 h |
| 04 | Peel, destone & cutMango is peeled and diced, avocado halved and destoned, strawberries hulled by hand.Peels/stones → compost | PT-301 SS Prep Tables & Knife SterilisersDC-302 Industrial Fruit DicerAV-303 Avocado Halving & Destoning Machine |
Knife sterilisers 82 °C · cut size ± 1 mm |
| 05 | Avocado pulpingPulp-grade avocado is finished through a screen and vacuum-mixed with ascorbic and citric acid. | PL-304 Avocado Pulper & Vacuum Mixer |
Ascorbic ≈ 0.5 % · pulp < 10 °C · vacuum on |
| 06 | Anti-browning dipCut pieces pass through a recirculating ascorbic/citric acid bath before freezing.Spent dip → effluent | AB-401 Anti-Browning Dip Conveyor |
Acid 1–2 % · pH 2.5–3.0 · dip 60–90 s |
| 07 | DewateringA vibrating deck and air knife strip surface water so pieces freeze individually. | DW-402 Vibratory Dewatering Shaker & Air Knife |
No free water on belt · product ≤ 8 °C |
| 08 | Cryogenic tunnel freezingLiquid CO₂ flashes to snow on the fruit; belt speed is set so the core reaches −18 °C at exit.CO₂ gas → roof exhaust | LCO-501 Liquid CO₂ Bulk Storage TankCF-502 CO₂ Cryogenic Tunnel FreezerGS-901 O₂/CO₂ Monitoring & Extraction System |
Tunnel −70 °C · core ≤ −18 °C · O₂ > 19.5 % |
| 09 | Glazing (optional)Long-storage lots get a fine chilled-water spray that freezes into a protective glaze. | GL-503 Spray Glazing Conveyor |
Glaze 3–5 % by weight · potable water |
| 10 | Weighing & packingFrozen pieces are weighed into bags or 10 kg lined cartons and coded with the lot number. | PK-701 Multihead Weigher & Bagging Machine |
Net weight ≥ declared · lot code legible |
| 11 | Metal detectionEvery pack passes a metal detector with an automatic air-blast reject. | MD-702 Conveyor Metal Detector with Reject |
Test pieces Fe/non-Fe/SS checked hourly |
| 12 | Frozen store & dispatchPallets are held at −25 °C until QC release, then leave in reefers or dry-ice-packed air boxes. | CS-801 −25 °C Frozen StoreDI-601 Dry-Ice PelletiserQC-902 Quality-Control Lab Kit |
Store ≤ −25 °C · QC release · reefer pre-cooled |
6 zones arranged for one-way material flow, with every item of equipment placed by tag.
At −70 °C fruit freezes in 6–15 minutes, forming small ice crystals that keep texture and cut drip loss.
The tunnel needs only fans and a belt; the cold comes from CO₂, so no big ammonia plant is required.
Pellets made on site keep air-freight boxes frozen for 72 hours and sell to other exporters.
Ascorbic/citric dips and vacuum pulping stop avocado and mango turning brown.
Fixed O₂/CO₂ sensors, alarms and automatic extraction protect staff in every cold area.
Peels, stones and rejects go to compost; dip and wash water are treated before discharge.
The core routines operators follow, from start-up to batch release.
7 sections: open any one to read it, or download the whole document.
Baridi Harvest Foods Ltd is a cryogenic fruit freezing plant in Thika, Kenya, turning avocado, mango and strawberries into premium frozen halves, cubes, slices and pulp for export. A liquid CO₂ tunnel freezer at −70 °C freezes each piece in minutes, not hours, keeping colour and texture far better than conventional blast freezing. An on-site dry-ice pelletiser keeps air-freight shipments frozen and earns extra revenue selling pellets to other exporters.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Frozen Output Capacity | 500 kg/hour (~7 tonnes/day, 1,680 t/year) |
| Year 1 Volume | 920 tonnes (55% utilisation) |
| Annual Revenue (Year 1) | KES 325,000,000 (~$2.5M) |
| Initial Investment | KES 140,000,000 (~$1.08M) |
| Year 1 EBITDA | KES 62,000,000 (~$477,000) |
| Capital Payback | ~Month 23 of operations |
| Employees | 55 (2 shifts) |
| Stage | Process | Purpose | Equipment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Receiving & Weighing | Lot traceability, grower payment | 3 t platform scales (x2) |
| 2 | Sorting & Grading | Remove rejects, split ripeness | Roller inspection conveyor |
| 3 | Washing & Sanitising | Remove soil, cut microbial load | Bubble washer + PAA dosing |
| 4 | Peel, Destone & Cut | Mango cubes, avocado halves, hulled berries | Prep tables, dicer, avocado halver |
| 5 | Avocado Pulping | Smooth pulp for food service | Pulper + vacuum mixer |
| 6 | Anti-Browning Dip | Keep colour (ascorbic/citric acid) | Dip conveyor (60-90 s) |
| 7 | Dewatering | Free-flowing pieces, no clumps | Vibratory shaker + air knife |
| 8 | Cryogenic Freezing | Core to -18 °C in 6-15 min | CO₂ tunnel freezer (-70 °C) |
| 9 | Glazing (optional) | Protect against freezer burn | Spray glazing conveyor |
| 10 | Weighing & Packing | Bags and 10 kg lined cartons | Multihead weigher + bagger |
| 11 | Metal Detection | Foreign-body control (CCP) | Metal detector with reject |
| 12 | Frozen Store & Dispatch | Hold at -25 °C, ship by sea or air | 200 t cold store, dry-ice pellets |
| Fruit | Source Counties | Main Season | Price (KES/kg) | Yield | Raw Fruit (t/yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hass avocado (processing grade) | Murang'a, Kiambu, Nyeri, Meru | Mar - Sep | 55 | 62% | 668 |
| Apple & Ngowe mango | Makueni, Machakos, Kilifi | Nov - Mar | 30 | 50% | 644 |
| Strawberries | Kiambu, Limuru, Nyandarua | Year-round (peaks Jan, Jul) | 160 | 90% | 204 |
| Total | - | - | - | - | 1,516 |
Avocado and mango seasons are complementary, keeping the tunnel busy for about 10 months a year. Fruit is sourced through contracts with 400+ smallholders organised in producer groups, with a buying premium for GlobalG.A.P.-registered farms and full spray records.
| Input | Specification | Annual Use (Yr 1) | Cost (KES) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liquid CO₂ | Food-grade, 99.9% (EIGA/ISBT), road tanker delivery | ~1,400 t | 35/kg |
| Ascorbic & citric acid | Food-grade E300 / E330 | ~6 t | 450/kg |
| Peracetic acid sanitiser | 15% PAA concentrate | ~3,000 L | 600/L |
| Cartons & PE liners | 10 kg export carton, blue food-grade liner | ~75,000 sets | 150/set |
| Retail bags | Printed PE, 0.5-2.5 kg | ~150,000 | 18 each |
| Insulated air-freight boxes | EPS box + outer carton, UN1845 labelled | ~18,000 | 420 each |
CO₂ balance: the tunnel uses about 1.2 kg of liquid CO₂ per kg of frozen fruit, and the pelletiser about 2.3 kg of liquid per kg of dry ice. The 30 t bulk tank holds roughly three days of stock at full output, and supply contracts include a minimum 2-day delivery guarantee.
| Certification | Authority | Timeline | Cost (KES) |
|---|---|---|---|
| KEBS Standardization Mark (frozen fruit) | Kenya Bureau of Standards | 3-6 months | 180,000 |
| Processor & Export Licence | AFA - Horticultural Crops Directorate (HCD) | 1-2 months | 60,000 |
| Export Inspection Certificate | KEPHIS (per consignment) | Ongoing | ~5,000 per shipment |
| NEMA EIA Licence (effluent, CO₂ venting) | National Environment Management Authority | 3-4 months | 150,000 |
| Factory Registration + Pressure Vessel Inspection | DOSHS (CO₂ tank, pelletiser) | 1-2 months | 80,000 |
| Public Health & Food Handling Licence | Kiambu County | 1 month | 40,000 |
| HACCP / ISO 22000 | Accredited certification body | 6-9 months | 450,000 |
| BRCGS Food Safety (EU/UK retail) | Accredited certification body | 9-12 months | 900,000 |
| IATA Dangerous Goods training (dry ice, UN1845) | IATA-accredited trainer | 1 month | 120,000 |
| Parameter | Requirement | Our Target | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core temperature at tunnel exit | <= -18 °C | <= -20 °C | Every 30 min |
| Avocado dry matter (maturity) | >= 21% (AFA export rule) | >= 23% | Every lot |
| Mango Brix | Buyer spec >= 14 °Bx | 15-18 °Bx | Every lot |
| Strawberry Brix | Buyer spec >= 7 °Bx | 8-10 °Bx | Every lot |
| E. coli | < 10 CFU/g | Not detected | Weekly |
| Listeria monocytogenes / Salmonella | Absent in 25 g (EU Reg. 2073/2005) | Absent | Weekly |
| Pesticide residues | EU MRLs (Reg. 396/2005) | < 50% of MRL | Quarterly per supplier group |
| Metal detection | Fe 2.0 / non-Fe 2.5 / SS 3.0 mm | Zero escapes | Hourly test |
Critical control points: washing sanitiser concentration, core freezing temperature and metal detection. Berries carry an extra risk-based check for Hepatitis A and Norovirus, as required by several EU buyers.
| Item | Cost (KES) | ~US$ |
|---|---|---|
| Cryogenic system (CO₂ tunnel, 30 t bulk tank, glazing, gas safety) | 39,000,000 | 300,000 |
| Fruit preparation line (scales, sorter, washer, dicer, avocado halver, pulper, dip, dewatering, tables) | 18,000,000 | 138,000 |
| Dry-ice pelletiser & insulated bins | 7,000,000 | 54,000 |
| Multihead bagger & metal detector | 7,500,000 | 58,000 |
| -25 °C frozen store (200 t) | 13,500,000 | 104,000 |
| QC laboratory | 1,300,000 | 10,000 |
| Freight, duty, installation & commissioning | 10,000,000 | 77,000 |
| Building fit-out (hygienic panels, drains, epoxy floors, chilled prep hall) | 16,000,000 | 123,000 |
| Power (transformer upgrade + 250 kVA genset) | 9,000,000 | 69,000 |
| Effluent pre-treatment & compost pad | 3,000,000 | 23,000 |
| Licences, certification & pre-operating costs | 3,700,000 | 28,000 |
| Working capital (3 months fruit, CO₂, packaging) | 12,000,000 | 92,000 |
| Total | 140,000,000 | ~1,077,000 |
| Item | Monthly (KES) |
|---|---|
| Raw fruit (avocado, mango, strawberries) | 7,400,000 |
| Liquid CO₂ (freezing + dry ice) | 4,100,000 |
| Packaging (cartons, liners, bags, air-freight boxes) | 1,500,000 |
| Staff salaries (55 employees) | 2,300,000 |
| Electricity & water | 1,400,000 |
| Inland logistics, clearing & port handling | 1,300,000 |
| Rent (1,000 m² + tank yard) | 900,000 |
| Sales commissions & trade fairs | 1,400,000 |
| Maintenance, dip chemicals & sanitiser | 700,000 |
| Lab testing & certification | 300,000 |
| Admin & insurance | 600,000 |
| Total Monthly OPEX | 21,900,000 |
| Metric | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity utilisation | 55% | 70% | 85% |
| Frozen fruit sold (t) | 920 | 1,180 | 1,430 |
| Average FOB price (KES/kg) | 343 (~$2.64) | 343 | 343 |
| Dry-ice pellet sales (t) | 60 | 90 | 120 |
| Revenue (KES M) | 325 | 418 | 509 |
| Operating costs (KES M) | 263 | 322 | 379 |
| EBITDA (KES M) | 62 (~$0.48M) | 96 (~$0.74M) | 130 (~$1.0M) |
Blended price assumes 45% avocado (US$3.00/kg), 35% mango (US$2.20/kg) and 20% strawberries (US$2.60/kg) FOB Mombasa or JKIA. Dry ice sells at KES 150/kg to flower, pharma and airline catering customers.
Kenya is Africa's largest avocado exporter, shipping over 100,000 tonnes of fresh fruit a year, and produces an estimated 800,000 tonnes of mango. Yet post-harvest losses on mango reach 40% and a large share of avocado misses fresh-export size or cosmetic grades. Freezing turns this fruit into a shelf-stable export product that can be shipped by sea all year, while demand for frozen avocado and tropical fruit in smoothies, food service and ready meals keeps growing in Europe, the Gulf and Asia.
| Tier | Definition | Value (KES) |
|---|---|---|
| TAM | Global frozen avocado, mango and berry imports (est.) | 780 billion (~$6B) |
| SAM | EU, UK, GCC and East African frozen avocado & mango imports reachable from Kenya | 90 billion |
| SOM (Year 3) | Baridi Harvest share (~0.6% of SAM) | 509 million |
| Competitor | Positioning | Strength | Weakness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peru & Mexico IQF avocado | Large-scale frozen avocado | Scale, established EU/US buyers | Long sea voyage to Gulf and Asia; counter-season gaps |
| India & Peru frozen mango | Mass-market mango chunks | Low price | Variable colour, blast-frozen texture |
| Egypt & Morocco strawberries | Bulk IQF berries | Close to EU, huge volumes | Commodity pricing, little premium |
| Kenyan fresh exporters | Fresh fruit + avocado oil | Grower networks | Little freezing capacity for off-grade fruit |
| Channel | % Revenue | Key Accounts |
|---|---|---|
| EU & UK importers / food service | 45% | Frozen-food importers in Netherlands, Spain, UK |
| Middle East (GCC) | 30% | Hotel, airline catering and smoothie chains in UAE and Saudi Arabia |
| East Africa retail & HoReCa | 20% | Supermarkets, hotels and juice bars in Nairobi, Kampala, Dar es Salaam |
| Dry-ice pellet sales | 5% | Flower exporters, pharma distributors, airline caterers |
Baridi Harvest differentiation: cryo-frozen quality with brighter colour and firmer texture than blast-frozen fruit, fast Gulf delivery by air in dry-ice boxes, and full farm-to-carton traceability from contracted smallholders.
| Month | Milestone | Owner | Dependency |
|---|---|---|---|
| M1 | Lease signed, EIA submitted, CO₂ supply contract agreed | MD | Financing closed |
| M2 | Equipment orders placed (tunnel, tank, prep line, pelletiser) | Plant Manager | Deposits paid |
| M3-5 | Building fit-out, cold store, drains, power upgrade | Plant Manager | Contractor, KPLC |
| M4-6 | Grower contracts signed; GlobalG.A.P. support to producer groups | Sourcing Lead | Field team |
| M6 | Equipment delivery, installation, CO₂ tank commissioning | Plant Manager | Vendor engineers, DOSHS |
| M7 | KEBS, HCD licence, public health inspections; staff training | QA Lead | Trial samples |
| M8 | Trial runs, buyer samples, HACCP system live | QA Lead | Certifications |
| M9 | First export container shipped | Sales Lead | Buyer approval |
| M10-18 | BRCGS audit; ramp to 70% utilisation | MD | Working capital |
| Risk | Likelihood | Impact | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|
| CO₂ supply interruption | Medium | High | Two suppliers, 3-day tank buffer, tank telemetry with automatic re-order |
| CO₂ asphyxiation incident | Low | Very high | Fixed O₂/CO₂ sensors, alarmed extraction, personal monitors, confined-space permits |
| Fruit supply and price swings | High | Medium | Complementary seasons, grower contracts with floor prices, multi-county sourcing |
| MRL or microbiological rejection | Medium | High | Approved-grower list, residue testing, positive release, Listeria monitoring |
| Power outages | Medium | Medium | 250 kVA genset; -25 °C store holds product for 24 h without power |
| Exchange rate / export price fall | Medium | Medium | US$-denominated contracts, 20% regional sales in local currency |
Equipment specifications, process flow diagrams, recipes and the business plan, bundled as one download.
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