On-site Planning
Installation & Commissioning
Automated & Energy Efficient
Client Name: G***K Food Processing Group
Country: Republic of Poland
Region: Podlaskie Voivodeship – Europe's "green lungs," prime area for wild and cultivated mushrooms, covered by ancient forests
Core Products: Dried porcini mushrooms, dried portobello mushrooms, dried button mushrooms, forest mix mushroom packs
Equipment Configuration: Hadof customized multi-layer mesh belt hot air drying line (with integrated heat pump dehumidification and precise temperature control modules)
Commissioning Date: Q3 2020
Poland is Europe's largest producer and exporter of mushrooms. The Podlaskie region in the north features vast primeval forests and modern mushroom farming facilities. Every summer and autumn, porcini grow naturally among the pines, while modern mushroom houses supply button and portobello mushrooms year-round.
G***K Group, based in this region, traditionally focused on fresh sales and pickled mushrooms. However, surging European demand for convenience foods, instant soups, and organic mushroom snacks revealed a huge opportunity in dehydrated mushrooms. The limitations of traditional processing became starkly apparent:
Seasonality & Capacity Bottlenecks: The wild mushroom harvest lasts only 8-10 weeks, leaving much high-quality porcini to rot before processing. Fresh mushroom prices fluctuate wildly, and lacking deep processing meant passively accepting market prices.
Stringent Quality Standards: German and French clients demand high color, aroma, and rehydration quality in dried mushrooms. Traditional hot air drying often causes surface browning and aroma loss, blocking access to high-end markets.
High Energy Costs: Poland's long winters mean energy prices are consistently among Europe's highest. High drying line would severely erode profits.
Forest Protection & Sustainability: As an EU member, Polish companies must follow strict environmental rules, limiting traditional wood-fired drying methods.
The client's needs were highly specific: retain the unique forest aroma of wild mushrooms, meet EU organic standards, and achieve low-energy, year-round stable production.
After comparing German and Dutch equipment, G***K chose us. Our advantage: deep optimization for the delicate biological nature of mushrooms, not a generic drying solution.
Solution: Three Custom Designs for Temperate Mushroom Characteristics
1. "Heat Pump Dehumidification + Precise Temperature Control" Aroma-Lock System
Addressing the volatile aroma compounds and surfaces of porcini and portobello, we used closed-loop heat pump dehumidification.
Low-Temperature Slow Drying Locks in Aroma: Temperatures are precisely controlled between 35°C-50°C (adjusted automatically by species), mimicking natural forest air drying. The heat pump condenses and removes chamber moisture while recovering heat, blocking cold outside air and perfectly preserving the mushrooms' unique woody aroma and umami amino acids.
Color Protection: Controlling initial humidity prevents rapid surface moisture loss that causes hardening and browning. The final porcini slices show a natural golden color, and portobello caps are black, shiny, and intact, meeting top European supermarket display standards.
2. Flexible Process Database for Different Mushroom Species
For Wild Porcini (rare, high-value): An ultra-gentle "staged dehumidification" mode. Initial low-temperature, high-humidity stage sets color, followed by slow moisture removal over 10-12 hours, maximizing cap integrity and aroma.
For Button/Portobello (commodity): A medium-temperature (55°C) high-airflow through-circulation mode shortens drying time to 6-8 hours, boosting output while maintaining quality.
The line features a quick-change system, swapping mesh belt aperture and feed thickness in just 15 minutes to handle order changes easily.
3. Compliance with EU Environmental and Hygiene Standards
The chamber uses 316L stainless steel with mirror-polished interior and no design, withstands frequent EU-standard cleaning and disinfection.
Uses R290 natural refrigerant (heat pump system) with 0 ODP and very low GWP, complying with EU F-Gas regulations.
Client Testimonial: "Value Elevation" from Forest Gift to European High-End
After commissioning, G***K's business expanded rapidly.
Capacity & Market Breakthrough
Throughput: Processes 12 tons of fresh mushrooms daily, extending the wild harvest processing window to year-round sales, completely eliminating seasonal losses.
High-End Market Access: The enclosed low-temperature drying process helped secure German organic certification (BCS ?ko-Garantie). By 2024, organic porcini exports to France and Switzerland grew 280%, with products entering Paris's Galeries Lafayette Gourmet and Munich's Finanz Department Store.
Significant Economic Benefits
Product Premium: Porcini with superior color and aroma compared to traditional hot-air dried products command 35%-50% higher prices. Whole porcini mushrooms are particularly sought after by high-end European restaurants.
Return on Investment: Group CEO Mr. Kowalski noted: "We used to sell our best mushrooms fresh and process lower grades cheaply. Now, all grades become high-value dehydrated products. The heat pump system saves 60% energy compared to the gas heating we considered. EU green energy subsidies will cover the equipment cost difference in two years."
Environmental & Social Responsibility
Clean Energy: The heat pump system cuts the line's carbon emissions by 70%, earning recognition from Poland's Ministry of Environment as an "Eco-Innovation Enterprise."
Forest Protection: Reducing reliance on traditional wood fuel contributes to protecting the Podlaskie primeval forest, making the company a local sustainable development benchmark.
"We used to think industrial drying would destroy the forest soul of wild mushrooms. Hadof's equipment changed our view – real technology works as gently as the temperate forest itself, locking the aroma and nutrition of Polish forests into every mushroom slice, letting all of Europe taste this gift from nature."
—— G***K Food Processing Group, CEO Andrzej Kowalski
