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International

Meat Topics Volume 5 Number 2 (2014)

TRACEABILITY Effective software solutions now and in the future.

INSPECTION When two heads are better than one.

TESTING New developments in rapid microbial screening methods.

ENVIRONMENT Abattoir’s biogas initiative secures a greener future.

PRIMARY PROCESSING We look at options from around the world.

INJECTION SYSTEMS Evolution of the spray effect in cooked meat products.

Meeting meat’s technical needs

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o we worry enough about consumer perception? Will issues such as animal welfare, antibiotic usage/resistance and environmental impact drive consumers away from real meat and into eating no meat or eating synthetically manufactured meats?

Either outcome would be bad news for the traditional meat sector!

This might be alarmist when synthetic meat is a long way off from becoming commercially available at a realistic or commercially viable price. However, I would counter this with two observations.

Firstly, the option of not eating meat at all is already here and harming our sales.

Secondly, technological advances are occurring ever more quickly and so synthetic meat could be with us sooner than we think. This could leave us trying to close the proverbial door after the horse has bolted!

As an industry we must identify the negative perceptions that consumers have about us and act to quickly and effectively counter them!

In this day of modern communications we must utilise the social

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Cover Picture:

International Meat Topics — Volume 5 Number 2

media, as well as traditional media, to make sure consumers hear our views on why meat is good for us and to counter negative messages arising from various quarters.

Most people do not want to see lambs leaping about in idyllic pastures to the sound of a harp playing – they want to receive trusted facts and information so that they can make informed decisions on things that impact on their lifestyle. Surely, we can help them by being the trusted provider of information about meat.

Let us proudly tell the world about livestock farming and how their meat is produced. Let us highlight the positive nutritional attributes of meat and constructively counter some of the malicious stories that are circulating, to which modern consumers often attach so much (misplaced) significance.

We must communicate and promote our great industry. Whether we like it or not, ‘he who shouts loudest is likely to win the day’!

If we are going to shout, let’s be sure our words are clear and unambiguous! n Accuracy ensures profitability! (photo courtesy of Cabinplant)

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International Meat Topics — Volume 5 Number 2

WorldFocus An executive summary of key international issues

Speciation

When is meat not meat?

Some of the tests that are now used for meat speciation are so sensitive that one wonders what a ‘positive’ result is telling us? Originally, the intention was to make the dilution of 20kg of a superior meat with, for example, 2kg of an inferior meat an offence. Nowadays, if we detect just a few molecules of pork in our chicken meat we have a concern. Surely, meat is a combination of meat, fat, sinew and even bone – not just one or two molecules that trigger off a PCR reaction? Has the time come to define a global interpretation of a positive meat speciation result so that it is more in line with the original concept of adulteration?

Salmonella

When is a salmonella not a salmonella?

Many salmonella do not cause food poisoning in man. Should these be treated the same as seriously pathogenic strains like Salmonella typhimurium or S. enteritidis? In many countries all salmonella are treated equally by the authorities but in the more forward thinking ones the degree of attention a salmonella isolate receives is proportional to its pathogenicity.

However, is it as simple as that? In some cases a slight genetic change in a salmonella can be accompanied by a serious change in pathogenicity or virulence. This being the case, is there wisdom in treating all salmonella isolates equally? Is this one of those situations where either approach could be correct or, conversely, incorrect?

Antibiotics

Has the resistance story got out of hand?

Recent important statements from Europe confirm that antibiotic resistance problems in animals is a veterinary issue and antibiotic resistance problems in man is a human medicine issue. This is because most antibiotic resistance problems in man arise from the use or misuse of antibiotics in man! The one notable exception to this is antibiotic resistance in enteric zoonotic pathogens like salmonella. In this instance, the antibiotic resistance can be acquired on the farm, while the zoonotic pathogen is in the animal! Then, obviously, the meat becomes involved. While we can champion the position that antibiotic resistance in man is often caused by the misuse of antibiotics in man we must not be caught out by this notable exception.

International Meat Topics — Volume 5 Number 2

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International Meat Topics — Volume 5 Number 2

Traceability – its true business value and what to look for in a solution

by Rob Stephens, Managing Director, Systems Integration (Trading) Ltd, Staffordshire, UK. hen it comes to the meat sector, every solution seems to offer ‘traceability’. But what does it really mean? According to the European Commission, traceability is defined as ‘the ability to trace and follow food, feed and ingredients through all stages of production, processing and distribution’.

The ability to track a product from farm to fork is often complicated by the various stages of the processing cycle and the fact that many products contain ingredients from numerous sources that may have been mixed together in different parts of the supply chain.

Retailer demands are tough when it comes to traceability, with supermarkets fining processors if they fail or take too long to provide the information they have requested.

This means that manual traceability is becoming less acceptable. Not only does it take processors too long to gather information, but retailers and authorities are less likely to accept evidence that can be altered or completed post production. This

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Table 1. The questions you need to ask when choosing a traceability solution. l Does it capture factory floor data? l Can it cope with barcoding/barcode scanning? l Does it offer business analysis? l Does it automate reporting? l Is the solution hosted on site or remotely? l Does it show live/real time data? l Does it feature ‘one click’ traceability? l Does it offer forward and back traceability?

Meat traceability is a significant issue (photo by Andrew Houghton). is due to the fact that it is susceptible to error at best and fraud at worst. There looks set to be increased pressure along the supply chain for processors to have integrated, real time factory floor data capture.

Good business management As customer and legislative requirements are the usual drivers of traceability for meat processing businesses, it can be seen as a costly burden.

However, not everyone views it this way.

Martin Gooch, Director at the Value Chain Management Centre (VCMC) in Canada, sees traceability as the outcome of good business management. He does not see it as simply a cost or inconvenience, but an important way to improve profitability.

The VCMC’s white paper, Traceability Is Free, identifies that competitive advantage no longer comes simply from transforming one product into another. It is derived from using the information captured during the transformation process to continually improve effectiveness.

The authors suggest that when this

International Meat Topics — Volume 5 Number 2

approach is employed by an individual business, the benefits can be significant.

However they go on to conclude that when businesses in the food value chain act together, the benefits can be enormous and very difficult for competitors to replicate.

“Traceability need not be simply an added cost of business. Instead, it is a beneficial outcome that occurs through the strategic application of information and communication technologies (ICT), and disciplines very similar to those already being used as part of good manufacturing practices. Traceability is not a gift, but it can quite literally be free.

“A key point many businesses miss about traceability is that many of the processes, systems, and practices (and actual data recorded) are already in place for food safety and good production efficiency, and can be exploited for traceability. Traceability often simply requires accessing, and using differently, what is already available.”

More and more processors are realising this and looking to invest in technology to achieve their aims. However, with a wide range of solutions out there all claiming to offer complete traceability, the decision of Continued on page 8

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Continued from page 7 which one to choose can be tough for meat processors.

A production solution is a significant financial investment, so this article aims to outline the different types of technology that are available and identify what meat processing businesses need to look for in a solution.

The holy grail: 100% traceability All processors can demonstrate some form of traceability. It is the level of accuracy, the amount of manual work involved and the batch size that differs.

Some processors are able to identify source ingredients immediately and pinpoint to a production batch. Others struggle to gather the information in a timely fashion, or are only able to trace an entire day or week’s production. The problem with this is that it can end up in an unnecessarily large product recall.

So why do some processors cope better than others? Most meat manufacturers have a computerised accounts system which may include raw material intake and final despatch. It is the way data capture works on the factory floor, for the processes between intake and despatch, that varies widely.

There are manufacturers that manually

gather traceability data using a pen and paper, or spreadsheet. Some capture the data manually and re-key it, which is typical of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software. Others have a specific factory floor data capture solution, such as a Manufacturing Execution System (MES).

The key to success appears to be where the stock system resides. MES solutions are typically designed for multiple transaction types, as they are able to mimic the process.

These types of systems work with differing stages of part processed stock.

They have the ability to track hundreds of thousands of small stock movement transactions in and out of multiple processing areas every day.

Even processors that have invested in both ERP software and an MES solution can still have issues if the touch points of integration are not thought through. Quite often these systems end up as ‘islands of efficiency’ that only share top level data.

An alternative solution for meat processing businesses are cloud based applications. These can be appealing as they do not require a large initial financial outlay for hardware like systems that are hosted on site.

However, cloud technology can raise concerns over security. High profile cloud data losses such as Sony and Amazon can make businesses wary of this type of technology. Most companies will opt for

using their own server for data storage.

Cloud based applications also struggle to record the fast paced movements of thousands of items of stock as internet speeds can be temperamental.

There are some applications that collect data offline and re-sync with the cloud when an internet connection is available. However, this means that data is not visible in real time.

The most successful processors run a complete, meat specific business solution that connects their factory floor and office.

This type of technology gives instant forward and back traceability in addition to total factory floor visibility and enhanced production performance. It includes all of the business functions that affect the factory floor. In addition to stock, this includes planning, raw material and dry goods intake, sales order processing, labelling and despatch.

What should you look for?

The ideal solution for businesses in the meat processing sector must be able to offer factory floor management that can cope with barcoding, yield and traceability, but also offer easy to use, real time reporting and business analysis.

To be successful, a meat processor needs a complete business solution connecting their factory floor and office. However, this is not always practical or affordable.

The best solutions will also offer the flexibility to address key areas and grow with a business, as well as integrating with existing systems. It is also important that meat processors employ technology providers that understand the challenges faced by their unique industry and have significant experience in delivering solutions to the sector.

‘One click’ traceability Retailers ask for detailed traceability data, often within short time frames. To meet their requests, you need a solution that allows you to access the data you want with the click of a mouse.

Data should be live and you should be able to access and distribute it with ease. You should also be able to ‘drill down’ and analyse any results. It is essential for meat processors to be able to demonstrate complete forward and back traceability.

Some meat processors prefer to allow supermarkets to access information whenever they want, saving precious time.

However, this does not suit all businesses.

It is therefore important to have the choice on what your customers can see, if anything. n References are available from the author on request

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International Meat Topics — Volume 5 Number 2

Two heads are better than one for inspecting frozen meat

by James Chrismas, Loma Systems, Southwood, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 0NY, UK.

extremely proactive at working with us to bring all of our inspection equipment in line with this new standard and carried out all the necessary upgrades at a minimal cost.”

One of the more challenging metal versatile twin-head metal detection applications at Tendercut detection unit from Loma Meats is the screening of frozen lamb Systems is allowing Tendercut chops coated in a mint glaze and Meats to inspect frozen meat packpacked in metallised bags. aged in both foil and plastic on the This task is carried out by Loma’s same line, without compromising metal detector, which like all of detection performance. This futureLoma’s newest inspection systems proof investment gives the meat can tune out the interference from processor the flexibility to accommothe metallised bags, providing reliable date changing customer demands detection of ferrous and non-ferrous and represents a far more economic, metals as well as stainless steels. A space-saving solution than operating Loma’s twin-head metal detection unit inspecting second metal detector is used to two separate inspection units. frozen meat packaged in both foil and plastic. inspect frozen chops in plastic trays Tendercut Meats has been processwith film lids. The company runs a two-shift of one on another on separate conveyor ing and packing frozen meat, from chops process that starts at 7.30am and runs conbelts. The advantage stems from the fact the and joints to whole legs of lamb, for over 30 tinuously until 1.00am, so reliability is paraheads ‘share’ a conveyor and a reject sysyears. On average 140 tonnes of meat – the mount. The Loma has been a robust, tem,” explains Tony Bryant, UK sales manmajority New Zealand lamb – is packed at dependable workhorse. ager at Loma Systems. its BRC and EC approved facility near The twin-head unit also has a larger Southampton, UK. Last year, following the 185mm aperture than the previous ferrouslaunch of a new product range by one of its in-foil unit, giving Tendercut Meats the abilkey customers – a leading frozen food Wet/dry sensitivity challenge ity to inspect a wider range of carton sizes. retailer – the meat processor replaced an This is not the first time Tendercut Meats existing ferrous-in-foil metal detector with a In metal detection terms, frozen products has purchased a Loma system. In fact, the flexible twin-head system. are ‘dry’ and therefore easier to inspect company has three IQ3 metal detectors, than ‘wet’ or ‘conductive’ products, which two IQ2 metal detectors, two CW3 checkgenerate an electric signal that can disguise weighers, plus a LCW 6000 checkweigher the signal emitted by metallic contamination.

Detection in foil and plastic that, true to Loma’s ‘designed to survive’ Several of Tendercut Meats’ ‘wet’ products ethos, continues to operate efficiently 15 involve packing fresh meat in vacuum The original ferrous-in-foil detector had years on. been purchased to inspect purely foil-packpouches, which are subjected to a hot water “The LCW 6000 checkweigher is still givaged products, such as sliced lamb in gravy. shrinking process. ing good service, which is testament to the With the new product range, plastic ovenImpressed by the performance of Loma’s build quality and longevity of Loma’s ready bags were introduced. The two mateIQ3 on these wet products, Richard says: machines,” declares Richard Gubbins, facrials needed to pass through the same “Being a meat processor with very stringent tory manager at Tendercut Meats. “One of cartoner packaging machine on the same hygiene requirements, durability, IP rating the things I like about Loma is that they production line, but required different food and ease of cleaning have also influenced keep their equipment going thanks to reguindustry metal detection capabilities. our inspection equipment purchasing decilar servicing and a very rapid rate of Drawing on their longstanding relationship, sions. But the real reason we come back to response.”

Loma advised Tendercut Meats on their Loma year after year is because for the last This value-added service extends to the options, recommending a combined twinthree decades they have helped us to grow; Loma team, who are always happy to share head unit, comprising an IQ3 system to they have always been there to offer supindustry advice. One such instance was inspect products wrapped in plastic, and a port and advice. helping the company to interpret and action ferrous-in-foil detector. By simply flicking a “Regardless of what product and packagBRC’s newest Global Food Safety Standard switch, the operator can change between ing challenges arise in the future, we are (issue 6). Stipulating that all metal detectors the two heads instantaneously. confident that, with Loma’s unstinting supneed ‘reject and contain’ systems rather “There is both a financial and a space savport and knowledge of our business, we will than stop belt style reject mechanisms, ing benefit to installing a twin-head system be able to guarantee the safety, integrity and Richard points out that: “Loma was rather than running two units independently quality of our products.” n

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International Meat Topics — Volume 5 Number 2

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International Meat Topics — Volume 5 Number 2

New developments in rapid microbial screening methods

by Alan Traylor and Daniel B. Smith, Mocon Inc, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. uality control professionals in the meat industry continue to search for reliable rapid methods for screening samples at all stages of food production.

Despite an increased focus on pathogenic organism detection, the current technologies are expensive and require highly qualified personnel to operate.

One of the traditional techniques for screening food samples to identify the most at-risk batches is to test for Total Viable Count (TVC), also known as Aerobic Plate Count and Total Plate Count. Additionally, it is possible to narrow the range of organisms of interest by the use of selective growth media.

Two of the key ‘indicator organism’ tests in use across the global food industry are total Enterobacteriaceae (EB) and total coliform counts.

These tests select for bacteria that are likely present in the human and animal digestive tracts and can represent faecal contamination.

Recently, there has been an increased focus on rapid test technologies that overcome the productivity drawbacks of official methods.

At the forefront of these technological developments is GreenLight, an oxygendepletion technology that can deliver rapid results for indicator tests by

Some of the most common growth media used for testing include Violet Red Bile with Glucose (VRBG, ISO 21528-2, 2004) and 3M Enterobacteriaceae Petrifilm.

The standard methods usually require serial dilutions for plate readability and resolution and can take up to 48 hours with pre-enrichments and extended incubations.

This causes higher testing costs due to expensive media and the possibility of errors due to poor laboratory practices.

In this study, comparative testing was conducted used a Violet Red Bile Broth with Glucose in the GreenLight system versus 3M Enterobacteriaceae Petrifilm.

Coliforms testing standards are very similar to those for EB.

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measuring the respiration of aerobic organisms in the sample.

In a recent study conducted in collaboration with the University of Minnesota, meat samples were tested for the presence of EB and coliforms. The format of the trial was to use meat purchased at retail stores in the area. Therefore, the meats were to be a variety of treatments including ground, steak, MAPpacked or untreated.

By performing a comparative study versus another popular plate counting technique, an estimate of the reproducibility of the method was possible with a view to generating a globally acceptable protocol for GreenLight testing of raw meats.

GreenLight technology Mocon developed GreenLight in collaboration with Luxcel Biosciences (Cork, Ireland) in order to provide faster microbial count tests with less sample preparation and better process variability.

GreenLight is a novel sensor that records the reduction of oxygen in a food sample as aerobic microbes grow and respire. The GreenLight sensor is attached to the bottom of a sample vial and reads the optical fluorescence response of the sensor.

Because of its design, the APCheck vial reads from the bottom and is

International Meat Topics — Volume 5 Number 2

not hindered by opacity of the sample. Using the integrated APCheck sensor vial and a fully automated reader, GreenLight gives Total Viable Count results typically 10 times faster than plating.

The time-to-result from the sensor is inversely related to bacterial load.

Therefore, the higher the load, the faster the result.

This makes for a robust and reliable screening tool. The GreenLight technology has shown high correlations to the ISO and FDA reference methods for almost any sample homogenate, liquid or beverage.

GreenLight is easy to adapt for other indicator tests by the inclusion of a selective broth in the test vial.

Using this method, the GreenLight reader and the basic consumable vial remain the same for at least three types of indicator test, reducing the inventory complexity for a working laboratory and allowing all the screening tests to be run on the instrument at the same time.

Methods All meat samples in the study came from local retail stores in the USA and were selected for their range of treatments, such as ground beef, steak, MAP-packaged or untreated.

Standard food testing methods for Enterobacteriaceae use various agar plates or films (ISO 21528-2, 2004).

Method summary l Weigh out 10g of sample into a sterile filter bag. l Pipette 90mL of BPW into the filter bag. l Stomach the filter bag for two minutes. l Pipette 9mL of VRBG broth into the GreenLight APCheck vial. l Pipette 1mL of the sample preparation into the same vial. l Invert two times and vortex the vial for 30 seconds. l Place the vial into the GreenLight 930 reader and run test.

It should be noted in the above summary that the preparation of the plating method is significantly longer than the GreenLight method, with more steps and with higher probabilities for error.

Much of the preparations for traditional plate count methods are focused on serial dilution of the original sample to meet the criteria for countable plates after incubation.

If the target value for the food sample is unknown, this can result in several dilutions with several plates and a large quantity of media and labware that is consumed in the preparation.

In comparison, GreenLight requires only a single dilution while stomaching. In the case of EB and Continued on page 12

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16 14

R = 0.8168

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2

Time to result (hours)

Time to result (hours)

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y = 1.4612 x+11.145

8 6 4 2

y = -2.4143x+16.412 R2 = 0.8027

10 8 6 4 2

0

0 0

1

2

3 Log CFU/g

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5

6

0

1

2

3 Log CFU/g

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Fig. 1. GreenLight EB counts versus petrifilm.

Fig. 1. GreenLight coliform counts versus petrifilm.

Continued from page 11 coliform, GreenLight does require the addition of the selective broth to the vial, but this is relatively easy compared to the time and labour employed in achieving plate counts.

One of the advantages of using oxygen depletion technology in assessing viable counts is the sensor’s ability to cover a measurable range of only a few cells, up to many millions of cells. Oxygen use is inversely proportional to the level of microbial load in the sample; therefore the result of the GreenLight test is faster the higher the load.

The method employed for total coliform testing is nearly identical to that employed for EB testing, except a different broth is used.

The standard broth in this case is Violet Red Bile Broth with Lactose (VRBL, ISO4832:2006).

The official plate count method usually used to compare to GreenLight in this case is FDA Bacteriological Analytical Methods (BAM) Chapter 4. However, the study used the 3M product, Coliform Petrifilm.

tionship with negative slope, time(t)= -(log10 plate count)*slope + TIME(0). For any food matrix, the slope and TIME(0) will remain consistent from batch to batch or sample to sample, allowing the correlation to be used as a calibration on the GreenLight system.

Thus, going forward, the user would simply apply this calibration in software and get results reported in CFU/g, or CFU/mL in the case of a liquid or beverage.

It is to be expected that a different food matrix would supply a different calibration curve, yet experimental data has shown that similar food matrices return similar curves.

Hence, a single calibration curve can serve a group of foods, such as dairy or meats.

Results Both the EB and the coliform trials were generated from 30 samples of meat obtained from eight local

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sources in Minnesota, USA. There were 30 data pairs produced for each type of indicator organism, defined as GreenLight time-to-result paired with Petrifilm result. It was therefore possible to produce a correlation curve for each indicator test. The EB comparative results are shown in Fig. 1.

There is a strong correlation between the GreenLight time-toresult and the plating method for singular test pairs.

Further to these results, a maximum test time to infer presence/absence can be extracted.

For the GreenLight EB test, this test time would be approximately 18 hours. Therefore, a GreenLight EB test can be expected to return a result in 60% of the time taken for a plate count test.

Further, the results will be gained with less sample preparation and no extra work counting plates, since the data is measured automatically from the reader and stored in the computer database.

In the case of the coliforms test, the comparative results are shown in Fig. 2. As can be seen from the linear curve fit, the maximum test time for Coliforms can be estimated to be 12 hours.

All GreenLight oxygen depletion studies exhibit a correlation to plate count in the form of a linear rela-

Conclusions The GreenLight microbial detection system can produce results for total coliform and EB counts at least 60% faster than plate counting technologies. For a typical acceptance criteria of 1000 CFU/g in a food sample, the system is expected to give results in less than 10 hours The GreenLight system uses selective media that are commonly available, no special media are required.

The GreenLight reader and the

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oxygen sensing APCHeck vial can be used for indicator organism tests and total plate count (TVC) tests in any combination in an automated instrument, thereby making QC assessment of foods more efficient.

The Green Light system reduces costs due to elimination of serial dilutions that are routinely needed in plate counting methods. By automating the tests, labour and material costs are reduced.

Errors are reduced in the automated GreenLight system due to the elimination of manual process and preparation steps.

This study returned a correlation to another popular indicator organism test method of over 80% (R²).

As more data is gained on each food matrix tested, the GreenLight system can update its correlation efficiency using the new data and higher factors are expected.

The method used here is easily adaptable to other food matrices.

As noted, other food matrices are easily tested with only minor adaptations to the method. The use of replicate data sets will improve the correlation factor by improving the precision of both the plate count and GreenLight data. n

References are available from the authors on request

International Meat Topics — Volume 5 Number 2

Environmental initiative banks on biogas to secure a greener future

by Michael Bambridge, managing director, CST Wastewater Solutions, 16/20 Barcoo Street, Roseville 2069, Australia. n environmental initiative that will deliver greater energy security and a cleaner, greener future at one of Australia’s largest beef processing plants was recently launched by Australian Federal Industry Minister and MP for Groom Hon Ian Macfarlane.

The Global Water Engineering COHRAL Covered High Rate Anaerobic Lagoon at Oakey Abattoir on Queensland’s Darling Downs will extract green energy biogas from its waste water streams to replace millions of dollars worth of natural gas currently consumed at the abattoir.

In addition to lowering the plant’s dependence on increasingly expensive supplies of natural gas, the Global Water Engineering anaerobic digestion plant will simultaneously reduce the plant’s carbon footprint and produce waste water far cleaner than typical waste lagoons. The plant is expected to repay its cost of construction inside five years through gas purchase savings amounting to many millions of dollars – then continue to deliver benefits and profitability virtually in perpetuity.

The installation of the GWE COHRAL technology by Australian environmental engineering and green energy authority CST Wastewater solutions is the first GWE COHRAL installation in the world, deploying for the first time in a covered lagoon GWE anaerobic technology proven in more than 300 reactor (tank) installations worldwide.

COHRAL technology – which is applicable to both livestock and cropping operations – uses concentrated anaerobic bacteria to digest 70% of the organic matter (COD, or Chemical Oxygen Demand) in Oakey Abattoir’s waste water to produce effluent of far high quality than typical open lagoons.

Adoption of the technology is the result of an exhaustive selection process and the committed alliance to the environment of Oakey Abattoir and its owners Nippon Meat Packers. The Oakey Abattoir, which employs 750 people, adheres to Nippon Meat Packers’ strict environmental guidelines and corporate responsibility ethic as a

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GWE COHRAL technology – also applicable to livestock and cropping operations. major operator across Australia and an exporter to 34 countries. It is an initiative that sets an outstanding precedent for agribusiness in Australia because the costeffective technology can turn an environmental problem into profit by simultaneously enhancing water quality and lowering fuel bills. Importantly, it helps to guard against future price rises in the cost of energy and imposts such as a carbon tax.

Problem to profit Another major benefit of covered anaerobic lagoons is that the methane biogas produced within them is not only prevented from escaping into the atmosphere (where it is many times more damaging than carbon dioxide emissions) but is also harnessed to generate energy – rather than waste water being heavy consumers of energy in processing and oxygenation.

Oakey Abattoir’s plant will feature reuse of the biogas in its boilers, where it is initially expected to replace usage of about 50,000 gigajoules natural gas a year.

GWE anaerobic waste water green energy plants have been demonstrated in many applications worldwide to transform wastewater from a problematic expense to a profitable resource. While GWE’s anaerobic waste water technology has been proved worldwide at more than 300 installations of totally enclosed tanks, or reactors, this is the first time it has been applied to a covered lagoon, an application where it has enormous further potential in countries with strong agribusiness sectors.

International Meat Topics — Volume 5 Number 2

In addition to the obvious waste-to-energy benefits, the process also helps curb odours that emanate from open lagoons in processing plants. This is becoming a much bigger issue in Australia as urban encroachment means agribusiness and expanding communities are located much closer to each other than previously. So instead of open lagoons being potential dumping grounds for environmental problems,closed installations such as Oakey Creek’s represent an outstanding contribution to good community relations.

Yet another outstanding benefit is that anaerobic digestion produces reliable and predicable base load power – unlike some other green energy technologies, it is not dependent on the wind blowing or the sun shining. The environmental and cost benefits of COHRAL technology as deployed by Oakey Abattoir are outstanding and something we expect to attract world attention for agribusiness, including meat, dairy and crop waste processing. CST Wastewater Solutions represents GWE anaerobic wastewater technologies in Australasia. Global Water Engineering has been a world leader in clean water and green energy solutions for more than 35 years.

COHRAL covered lagoons COHRAL installations represent a major advance over open lagoons and are suitable for solutions involving less technology intensive applications that allow a long process residence time and where adequate space is available.

COHRAL anaerobic lagoons consist of two zones, with the complete surface of the lagoon being covered with an influent distribution system.

The first and largest zone receives the major part of the incoming wastewater. This reaction zone is where the anaerobic digestion occurs.

The second, smaller part of the lagoon serves as a post-digestion and pre-settling zone where a partial clarification of the effluent wastewater takes place. Settled sludge collected in this zone is pumped back to the inlet of the lagoon.

Continued on page 14

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Continued from page 13 Part of the anaerobic effluent is recycled back to the lagoon. The remaining effluent of the lagoon flows by gravity towards complementary technology such as the GWE proprietary SuperSep-CFS separation technology being used in the first Australian installation.

Simplicity and energy efficiency are keynotes of the COHRAL system, with no additional mixing facilities required in the anaerobic lagoon. The influent distribution system acts as a hydraulic mixing system, converting a standard low load/low efficiency lagoon into a COHRAL system with increased efficiency.

Safety is also integral to the COHRAL sys-

tem. Each anaerobic lagoon is covered by a special floating membrane to retain the methane produced. A typical feature of GWE’s COHRAL system is the operation at zero biogas pressure (-1 to +1 mbar range).

A sensitive membrane level measurement system controls the speed of a biogas extraction fan bringing the gas at 20 mbar to go to the flare. Compared to ‘inflated’ single membrane covers, the risk for leaks is virtually zero.

Simplicity also extends to the Scada computer control system typically employed with COHRAL technology. All indications and alarms, as well as reporting on the daily operation of the plant, and ‘trending’ can be done. All motor start/stop as well as

auto/manual functions can also be controlled from the Scada computer. A simplified flow sheet can be displayed on the colour screen, featuring all measurements (continuously updated) and indicating operating motors. Alarms can be indicated by a colour change to red of the corresponding measurement or indication. An external acoustic alarm can also be incorporated.

Green energy Anaerobic digestion facilities have been recognised by the United Nations Development programme as one of the most useful decentralised sources of energy supply, as they are less capital-intensive than large power plants. They can also benefit local communities by providing local energy supplies and eliminate the need for large and often smelly and environmentally challenging settling lagoons.

Good solutions do not have to be extortionately expensive and can be staged: l A satisfactory first step in many instances can be taken by covering lagoons and incorporating anaerobic processes with properly engineered feed and recycle systems, such as those in the COHRAL process. l A second progressive step can involve the use of tanks to contain anaerobic and other processes, minimising land use, reducing plant footprints and providing high security against leaks and groundwater contamination. Anaerobic processes can also be more closely efficiently controlled in such close environments, optimising water purification and green energy production. l A third optimum stage can be the eventual incorporation of the most advanced anaerobic technologies into sealed tank environments, such as GWE’s Raptor treatment system for organic residues, for example, which can convert almost any organic residue or energy crop into biogas, valuable electricity or heat. n Australian Federal Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane, right, performs the launch ceremony, congratulating the general manager of Nippon Meat Packers’ Oakey Abattoir Pat Gleeson, centre, and the managing director of CST Wastewater Solutions, Michael Bambridge whose company installed the GWE COHRAL technology.

14

International Meat Topics — Volume 5 Number 2

Tracing the future for the meat industry with supply chain software

by Robert Frost, CEO, LINKFRESH Software Ltd, Harston Mill, Harston, Cambridge CB22 7GG, UK. t has been over 12 months since the horsemeat contamination scandal broke and the industry is still waiting on clear direction and regulation from the Government and advisory bodies on how to combat fraud in the food chain.

However, we are seeing growing use of IT in the meat industry. The horsemeat scandal has brought the topic of traceability across the supply chain to the forefront of industry news.

IT can give suppliers and retailers the tools to accurately monitor products from farm to fork and this is something retailers are keen to see. There are still, however, many meat suppliers who need to adopt new technologies to manage the supply chain process.

At any point of the supply chain, from farm to fork, meat suppliers should be able to pinpoint where produce has come from, what processes it has gone through and where it ends up, with the emphasis on providing this information instantaneously.

the wider workforce. This can assist in flagging problems such as quality issues or order shortages as they occur. This enables management to take rapid, pre-emptive action to head off a potential customer relationship issue.

I

The need for technology The horsemeat scandal has renewed focus on accountability and traceability of inputs and distribution of food products. Six months after the scandal broke, one in four Britons claimed to have cut down on the amount of processed food they ate.

Moving forward the ability to understand and comply with new Government regulations will require companies to invest in more sophisticated IT solutions to ensure they maintain accurate records.

However, at the moment the reality is that many food safety monitoring processes still use manual, paper-based checks which are time consuming and carry a high risk of error and non-compliance compared with using an automated electronic data capture solution.

Customer confidence needs to be

LINKFRESH in action

regained. Retailers want suppliers to be able to quickly and efficiently provide them with reliable data in the event of a problem with any product.

The issue with manual records is that the process of analysing the data becomes a logistical nightmare where large volumes of data are involved.

I predict in the next few years consumers and retailers will expect the food industry to be able to provide comprehensive traceability information at the touch of a button.

So how can the industry start to prepare for this? We have found forward thinking food processors and suppliers are looking to Enterprise Resource Planning systems.

Introducing ERP Information Technology solutions, such as food specific Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems can help food businesses efficiently track and trace all aspects of a product’s manufacture from raw material intake, through production, to where it goes when it leaves the factory.

Supply chain IT systems, such as LINKFRESH which is fully integrated into the Microsoft Dynamics plat-

International Meat Topics — Volume 5 Number 2

form, help the meat and food industry efficiently manage every aspect of the food supply chain, including production, forecasting, planning, inventory management, quality, full traceability and logistics.

ERP technology also has other benefits for food businesses as it gives real-time insight into the entire supply chain.

Food processors achieve more efficient labour, reduced waste, faster financial reporting and accounting and increased profits.

Without real time insight, suppliers are open to supply problems and they will struggle to provide reliable data quickly in the event of a problem with the product.

It can also leave suppliers open to emergency product withdrawal (EPW) fees.

The benefits of traceability A further advantage of being able to track and trace product throughout the supply chain is visibility of stock movements and improved quality control data.

In a manual paper bound process, the data is only available to people with access to the physical paperwork.

With its electronic equivalent, the data can immediately be shared with

LINKFRESH is transforming the quality control and traceability processes for all of their customers.

One meat supplier reported it previously took eight hours to collate all the paperwork for a traceability report, it now takes 15 minutes. That is a 97% reduction in traceability costs.

To manage the quality control process through the supply chain, this customer used to carry out 11 reports; this can all now be completed within a few touches of a button on a handheld device. Updates take place straight away and there is no paperwork to be filed.

The technology has transformed how the supplier manages the supply chain, and has added profit to the bottom line.

Lessons from the scandal Supermarkets and food suppliers were criticised for the time it took them to identify where the contaminated meat came from, in some cases the original source is still not certain.

The industry needs to take note and demonstrate it has the technology and the insight to pinpoint immediately any problems there may be in the supply chain and have the ability to recall any potentially unsafe food straight away.

Since the horsemeat scandal more food businesses are investing in technology to assist in managing the supply chain.

The reality is the availability of full lot traceability will become the norm in the future for any supplier to the major retailers. Forward thinking businesses which start implementing this technology now will be ahead of the game. n

15

Processing solutions that offer flexibility for each bird Linco Food Systems A/S is part of the Baader Group – one of the most innovative and successful food processing technology companies worldwide. They are dedicated to the development and manufacturing of state-of-the-art food processing machinery for more efficient, safer and financially viable poultry processing solutions.

Baader Linco offers a complete product range of advanced poultry processing machinery and ‘wall-towall’ solutions for their global customers.

Their innovation is driven by their goal to make screening and sorting

of birds easy. As a total solution supplier they understand that each bird and each process task is different. Therefore they offer what they call ‘Single Bird Processing’ – automatic and balanced assessment of each bird’s characteristics in order to process the bird in the most profitable way.

They help the customer to obtain a 360-degree overview of products and processes as early as possible in the daily production and they design solutions that offer the flexibility to process each bird according to its individual characteristics. b linco@baader.com

The ProFlex Premium cut-up system from Linco Food Systems A/S.

Specialists in kill floor and boning room equipment Jarvis Products Corporation is one of the world’s largest producers of meat and poultry processing equipment.

The company specialises in kill floor and boning room equipment, including cutting and boning devices, bandsaws, slaughtering equipment, carcase opening and splitting saws, hock cutters and skinning machines.

Jarvis also sells an Automatic Hog Splitter, and industrial robots used for controlling tools that perform hock and head cutting operations on the kill floor.

If required, Jarvis has service technicians whose main function is providing quick

customer assistance, and teaching customers how to use Jarvis equipment – free of charge.

Jarvis’ product line is sold and serviced worldwide through 17 branch locations, and Jarvis’ J26 Federation of Distributors. b president4@hotmail.com Pictured above is the JR-50 Robot and, below, the JC111A Dehider.

Successful installation of high quality desinewer Recently, due to technical advancements, Lima have successfully installed their RM 400 DDS with 1 x 20 and 0.5 x 20mm filter for high quality chicken desinewed meat (most product with no bones in raw material are classified as meat according to EU directive) at one of the largest meat operators in France.

This RM 400 DDS replaces the older, two step system which was over complicated, expensive to operate and also raised concerns in terms of bacteriology and global profitability.

The decision was taken after fierce competition with belt separators and press type machines.

16

In 2014 Lima and their distributors will be attending 35 major exhibitions around the world. b lima@lima-france.com

International Meat Topics — Volume 5 Number 2

primary processing Wing segmenter provides accurate cuts at any speed

Optimal and economic utilisation of raw materials Haarslev Industries specialise in designing and manufacturing plants and equipment for processing animal by-products and fallen stock. They develop and supply processes and equipment to meet the demanding requirements and challenges that the rendering industry is facing due to environmental considerations and legislation.

The designs from Haarslev Industries focus on optimal and economical utilisation of raw materials and energy as well as product quality, regulatory conformance and environmental impact. In the ren-

dering process, usable ingredients such as protein meals and fats are extracted. Haarslev Industries offers a complete range of machinery to suit individual customer requirements.

Their process and engineering technology concentrates on customised solutions in order to make customers’ business more profitable and sustainable. They supply a wide variety of equipment and complete plant solutions to support batch as well as continuous processes.

Their process solutions cover wet and dry rendering, processing of poultry feathers and blood, fat melting and by-product handling systems for slaughterhouses and for pet food raw materials. With production sites in Denmark, Germany, Spain, Brazil, Peru, New Zealand and China and sales offices in Germany, Norway, UK, United States, Malaysia, Russia and India, Haarslev Industries plays a dominant role worldwide. b info@haarslev.com

Horizontal filleting machine for boneless meat Dimaq XXI is a food machinery import and distribution company with a proven track record in the sector both in large scale distribution and in the meat industry.

Since 2011 the company has been manufacturing the EBAKI horizontal filleting machine for boneless meat,

aimed mainly at the poultry industry.

After their success at IFFA 2013, Dimaq decided to promote the EBAKI worldwide and have therefore designed an exclusive website (www.ebakislicer.com) for this horizontal fresh meat slicer. b ainhoa@dimaq.net

International Meat Topics — Volume 5 Number 2

Cantrell, a poultry processing equipment sales and service company, has developed the CWCS-8400 Wing Segmenter that makes accurate cuts while running at high capacity.

The Cantrell Wing Segmenter is capable of processing up to 170 wings per minute on a processing line or as a standalone application.

“Our Wing Segmenter is designed to make all wing cuts in one place,” Dane Woods, Cantrell’s general manager of sales service/ engineering, told International Meat Topics.

“Processors can cut tips, flats and drummettes at one location.

The CWCS-8400 is capable of handling varying sizes of wings.”

The Wing Segmenter properly ori-

ents the wing at any line speed for accuracy on each individual cut. The shackle transfer eliminates misfeeds.

The segmenter is designed to allow adjustments during operation and easy access for blade replacement. The CWCS8400 is energy efficient and the open design makes for easy cleaning. A patent is pending on the Cantrell CWCS8400 Wing Segmenter.

Cantrell leads the way in creating and supplying innovative solutions in the poultry industry to customers worldwide.

With experienced and dedicated staff, the ultimate goal of Cantrell is to provide the best products, parts, and service available to poultry processors around the globe. b jeff@vardeman.com

The right grinding machine for every customer Every operation has its own particular requirements when knives need to be sharpened. As a leading manufacturer of knives, tools and grinding machines, the Friedr. Dick Company is able to offer individual grinding solutions. Dick grinding technology means fully qualified expertise in every area relating to knife sharpening.

A new product from Dick is the SM-140 UltraSharp belt grinding machine, which integrates water cooling for the belt. With this machine you can grind all manual and mechanical knives as well as tools. The SM-140 is capable of handling all variations of grinding tasks in a professional or industrial setting.

The robust design includes a stainless steel housing, rotary speed optimisation for the best possible grinding and polishing results and a zero-voltage trigger – to mention just a few of the

outstanding technical benefits the new grinding machine offers.

The grinding belt is 1000mm long and 50mm wide, allowing you to instantaneously put a new edge on tools without any risk to the materials. Any damage to the cutting edge will be honed out. The water cooling prevents the cutting edge from getting overheated and neutralises the resulting dust. b m.triebe@dick.de

17

The evolution of injection systems for cooked meat products

by Marta Xargayó, Josep Lagares, Eva Fernández, Jaume Gumà, Daniel Sanz, Josep M. Brugué, Technology Department, Metalquimia S., Font de l’Abad, 21 - 17007 Girona, Spain. uality and effectiveness in the injection process is a critical factor in the production of meat products, and is therefore the focus of continuous research with the objective of improving distribution and retention of brine in the meat.

In certain products this objective can be affected by the anatomy and/or morphology of the meat pieces (whole bone-in pieces), or by the characteristics of the process.

This can result in products of irregular quality and with yields lower than expected.

This article analyses the evolution of the spray effect or spray injection, by means of Metalquimia’s new SprayPlusSystem technology, to optimise distribution and maximise brine retention in the above-mentioned meat products, in comparison with a conventional injection system (without spray effect).

For this purpose, images obtained by computed tomography are used to determine the distribution of salt in diverse consecutive sections of a whole piece of meat. At the same time, a comparative study is conducted on the brine retention and final yield in the production process of injected and cooked bone-in ham.

The results show the effectiveness of the new technology in both stud-

Q

Fig. 1. The scanned zone.

ies, obtaining a more homogeneous distribution of salt and an increase in yield after cooking of up to four percentage points.

Most multi-needle injectors on the market use continuous pumps that impel the brine through needles with between two and four holes of 1mm or more in diameter, depositing the brine as the needle passes through the meat. Due to the diameter of the needles, the brine flows through them in a continuous gentle stream inside the meat, resulting in poor distribution and retention.

These machines usually operate at variable pressure that does not normally exceed 4kg/cm2 and are known as Low Pressure Injectors.

In contrast with the above, injectors with SPRAY effect introduce a volumetrically dosed quantity of brine, only when the needles have completely penetrated the meat and are stopped at the end of their downward stroke.

The spray effect is achieved by means of a volumetric piston pump that compresses the brine at a pressure of between 6-12kg/cm2, depending on the machine, and forces it through the micro-holes at high speed, causing dispersion of the brine jet in thousands of microdrops.

The microscopic dimensions of these drops, together with the high speed of their delivery, results in the brine being deposited deeply between the meat fibres without damaging the muscle structure, while covering a greater volume of the muscle. The needles are specifically designed to achieve this spray effect, with a variable number of holes that range from nine up to 20, depending on the model, and with a

diameter of 0.6mm. The large number of holes provides an increase of 3-6 times the number of injection points compared to conventional injectors. The end result is a radical improvement in brine distribution deep within the meat muscle.

The main advantages of the Spray injection system observed over the course of years are the following: l High regularity in injected percentage among pieces. l Minimum brine dripping loss after injection. l Uniform brine distribution inside the muscle.

Injection technology SprayPlusSystem technology is a further development of the Spray injection system in which the path of the needles can be much wider than that used to date.

The needles perform the downward stroke as usual, and brine injection begins once they have reached the end of the stroke.

At a given time in the cycle, adjustable according to the type of piece to be injected, the head moves slightly backward while injec-

tion continues at constant pressure, thereby increasing the area of brine penetration with respect to conventional spray injection.

Thus, a greater amount of brine can be retained inside the muscle, reducing subsequent dripping loss and the formation of pockets in the aponeurosis and intermuscular fat.

To date, the optimisation of the Spray system has been tested on products that present the most difficulty with brine distribution, due to morphology or quality.

But in some instances the difficulty is a given, such as when processing products without a massage phase or in which the massage cycle is very short, cases in which brine distribution basically depends on the capacity of the injector to distribute the brine uniformly.

These products can be summed up in two groups: l Whole bone-in pieces (ham, shoulder) in which the distribution of brine in the lower muscles (near the conveyor belt) tends to be uneven. Moreover, since the muscles are surrounded by membrane (aponeurosis) and fat, the brine tends to be retained in these zones.

This brine is easily lost during cook-

Figs. 2 and 3. Injector without spray effect (left) and with Spray Plus System technology (right).

18

International Meat Topics — Volume 5 Number 2

ing and detracts from the appearance of the cut (spongy effect). l Whole boneless muscles that although they do not present the above mentioned problem, usually have a high presence of PSE. In these cases the meat is very soft and easily torn during massage. To avoid this problem, the time/intensity of massage must be reduced, diminishing uniformity of brine distribution in the muscle.

Tests conducted A series of comparative tests between the conventional injection system (low pressure) and an injector equipped with SprayPlusSystem technology were designed: l Test 1: Improvement in brine distribution in whole bone-in ham In this test 12 pieces of whole pork ham (bone-in) were injected with the two above-mentioned machines: a conventional low-pressure injector (11) and a Metalquimia injector, model Movistick 3000 CR, equipped with SprayPlusSystem technology (12).

The pieces were injected at about 40%, with brine made up of sodium tripolyphosphate, salt, sodium nitrite, sodium erythorbate and water. After injection the analysis was immediately conducted by means of computed tomography to determine the distribution of brine inside each one.

The CT analysis was performed by a HiSpeed Zx/i model scanner manufactured by General Electric Healthcare (GE Healthcare, UK).

The equipment is located at the CENTA-IRTA (Center for New Technologies and Food Processes of the Institute of Food Technology and Research) facilities in Monells (Girona, Spain).

The defined scanning parameters were the following: 80 kV, 250 mA, rotation time of 2 s, 512 x 512 pixels in image size, 461 x 461mm2 displayed field of view and the algorithm of reconstruction STD+.

Ten consecutive sections, 10 mm thick, from the thickest part of each ham (Fig. 1) were scanned.

Each pixel of the image represents one voxel with a volume of 10 x 0.9 x 0.9mm3.

The images obtained directly from the CT were in DICOM format. By means of an application developed with the program Matlab Version 7.7.0 (R2008b The MathWorks, Inc.) the images were converted to TIFF format and mathematical models for predicting salt content in all points of the ham

were applied, thus obtaining the images of salt distribution.

The application of CT is based on the different attenuations of X-rays produced by the tissues according to their density, and whose average provides for obtaining a matrix of attenuations called CT values, expressed as Hounsfield units (HU).

These matrixes of values are used to create an image with varying tones of grey, in which the brighter areas signify greater attenuation.

Thanks to the high density of salt, a noticeable increase in the values of attenuation in the muscle is produced, allowing for quantification of its distribution by applying the above-mentioned mathematical models. Many other authors have demonstrated correlations between CT values and salt concentrations in various pork muscles.

Results from test one The results obtained from scanning of the pieces can be observed in Figs. 2 and 3, which show transversal cuts of ham injected with the two injection systems. Black areas signify zero attenuation and correspond to air (holes). Low attenuation appears as dark zones that correspond to areas of fat. Higher values of attenuation result in different tones of grey and show diffusion of the salt in the muscle.

Very high attenuation appears as white areas, which are bone and rind. The numbers that appears in the figures correspond to HU units in specific areas but representative of different muscles.

Fig. 2 corresponds to a ham injected with low-pressure injector 11 and Fig. 3 to a piece injected with injector 12, equipped with SprayPlusSystem technology to improve brine distribution and retention.

At first glance it appears that the grey colouration is fairly uniform in both images, which could lead to the

Fig. 5. Head with SprayPlusSystem.

International Meat Topics — Volume 5 Number 2

0 50

% Sal

Salt image - 8621 - slice 5

Salt image - 8623 - slice 5

100 150

2.0

1.5

1.0

200 0.5

250 300 350

0

Fig. 4 A

Fig. 4 B Air

Fig. 4. Salt distribution diagrams. conclusion that the salt has been distributed fairly uniformly in both cases. However, quantification of the HU units in the various muscles reveals significant differences. In Fig 2 it can be observed that the difference in HU between the upper muscle or Semimembranosus (SM) and the lower muscle Bicep femoris (BF) is 10 units. And between SM y lateral muscle Semitendinosus (ST) the difference is 16 HU. This means that most of the brine has concentrated in the upper part of the ham, leaving the lower part with less injection and therefore poor distribution of salt. Whereas if we observe Fig 3, the difference in units between the same muscles is a maximum of three units, which indicates greater homogeneity in the distribution of salt.

Moreover, the central zone where the fat that usually appears with the above-mentioned ‘spongy’ effect is located, in the first case 57 HU units can be observed, whereas in Fig. 3 only 33. This means that there is less salt and therefore less brine retained in this area of fat.

In Fig. 2 black holes can also be observed, which indicates, together with the values observed, poor distribution. In Fig. 3 these holes are not observed and all the fat displays similar attenuation values, indicating greater homogeneity in salt distribution and therefore a reduction in the ‘spongy’ effect.

The same data can be observed and confirmed in the distribution diagrams of the same hams.

In these images the distribution of salt can be observed according to distribution of colour.

Greater uniformity of colour indicates greater uniformity of salt distribution.

The white areas correspond to the fat in the piece. Image 4A corresponds to the same ham that appears in Fig. 2 (Injector 11) while 4B corresponds to that in Fig. 3 (Injector 12).

In image 4A

a greater concentration of salt can be observed in the uppermost part of the ham (superficial red colouration and uneven in the rest of the muscle) as was observed in Fig. 2.

A greater concentration can also be observed above the bone. Image 4B shows a much more uniform distribution in all the muscles (uniform blue colouration in the entire cut), leading to the conclusion that the injection resulted in a more uniform distribution of salt. l Test 2: Reduction in dripping loss in bone-in ham (Virginia Ham) Virginia Ham is a type of cooked ham that is very popular in the United States. Its production process has hardly varied in recent years, but consumer demands with respect to quality and final yield have grown. Since this product is produced without massage and with high dripping loss during cooking, relatively high injections (80-90%) are required in order to obtain a product with juicy texture and an acceptable yield.

The tendency of brine to accumulate in the membranes and fat that surround the muscle has already been mentioned.

This brine is poorly retained and tends to drain easily and increase dripping loss in the product. In order to evaluate the qualities of the new SprayPlusSystem technology with regard to brine retention, an industrial test was conducted at a processing plant in the United States, using two injectors with characteristics similar to those in the previous Test, Low-Pressure Injector 11 and a Metalquimia SA Injector 12 equipped with SprayPlusSystem technology (Fig. 5).

For this test, whole bone-in pork hams were injected at 80-90% and then prepared for cooking. In most processing plants, weight control is carried out only when the pieces are hung prior to entering the oven (approximately 30 minutes after injection) and after cooking. In this test the weight was also verified after injection.

The tests were conducted in parallel with the two machines and with the same brine. 250 hams were used in each test, grouped in five batches Continued on page 20

19

Continued from page 19 of 50 hams each. The cooking process was carried out in conventional steam ovens.

Data concerning the brine and the cooking process are not specified because they are the property of the company that lent its facilities.

Results from test two The results obtained are shown in Table 1 and correspond to the average of each batch.

Analysing the data provided by the in-plant tests, it can be observed that although the difference between the averages of the injec-

tion percentages of the two machines is small (86.5% and 87.8%), the difference in the retention percentage at 30 minutes of injection is increased, with a higher retention percentage found in Injector 2.

In the average of the batches injected with Injector 1, 36.1 injection points were lost during the time that elapsed between injection and entrance of the product into the oven. In the batches processed with Injector 2, 32 points were lost.

This difference of 4.1 points in the retention percentage is maintained in the product’s final yield in the pieces processed with SprayPlusSystem technology.

Table 1. Comparative results of yields in injection and cooking.

Injector

Injector 1 (Low pressure)

Injector 2 (SprayPlus System)

20

Batch No.

Injection (%)

Retention at 30 min. (%)

Final yield

1

83.1

47.2

119.2

2

86.5

50.7

121.6

3

87.1

48.4

118.3

4

88.6

53.1

122.1

5

87.3

52.5

121.9

6

86.4

54.9

124.1

7

88.2

56.3

124.8

8

86.7

54.2

123.6

9

88.5

56.3

125.9

10

89.3

57.1

125.1

Conclusions Based on the data obtained from the tests conducted, we can conclude that the evolution from the conventional spray effect system to the new SprayPlusSystem technology provides significant advantages in the injection process for cooked meat products. The adjustable backward movement of the needles results in a more uniform distribution of brine, reducing the formation of pockets in fat and aponeurosis. The end result is a cooked meat product with a more pleasing appearance in the cut, better colour and flavour; higher

regularity and consistency in the injection process; but, above all, an increase in product yield thanks to greater brine retention inside the meat muscle. Although these tests were focused on meat products with a high degree of difficulty with respect to obtaining good brine distribution, the advantages observed in the physical appearance and final yield of the products allows for extrapolating this effect to any other cooked injected product. n

References are available from the authors on request

International Meat Topics — Volume 5 Number 2

Software ensures effective food traceability from farm to fork

by Boukje Vreman, SFK LEBLANC, Borculo, The Netherlands. actory farmed pork sold as organic ham; horsemeat found in products labelled beef; pork DNA found in Halal meat; recall as school lunch meat contains plastic. These are just a few stories that dominated the global headlines in recent months.

It is clear that animal diseases, food fraud and production failures form a growing problem worldwide.

In the wake of these food scandals, consumers have become increasingly aware of food quality, safety, and origin, putting pressure on processors to keep track of every component in the manufacturing process.

SFK LEBLANC, a world leading supplier of high quality slaughter, cutting and deboning lines, has developed a traceability solution that can trace products from ‘farm to fork’.

F

Traceability a necessity Never before has food traceability been so important. Consumers grow more and more aware of food quality and food safety and therefore demand instant access to information on the origins of their food.

Traceability has become a necessity.

Get the most out of meat

SFK LEBLANC is a world leading supplier of high quality slaughter lines, cutting and deboning lines and logistic solutions for the food industry.

The SFK LEBLANC brand range comprises the brands SFK LEBLANC for pork lines and automation concepts, NAWI for cattle, veal and sheep solutions, and FP LOGISTICS for logistic solutions.

From stand-alone products to complete projects, SFK LEBLANC has made it its mission to get the most out of meat.

Traceability gives customers an advantage in today’s market.

Maintaining consumer confidence is essential for our customers in the food processing industry and traceability is a principal tool in achieving this. Though in the past the term ‘traceability’ was often connected to regulation and legislation, for example the EU General Food Law, fear of high costs and recalls, manufacturers have started to realise that traceability gives them a competitive advantage in today’s market.

SFK LEBLANC has developed a full traceability solution that not only improves consumer confidence and brand loyalty, but also provides precise, real-time information on the production process, increasing efficiency, quality and operational performance, cutting costs and improving product flow and inventory control.

Linking our food chain The SFK LEBLANC software system can link all the different steps in our food chain from animal production at the farm – in other words, when was it born, where was it born, who were its parents, what did it eat?

– to meat processing – when was it slaughtered, where was it slaughtered, what happened to all the (by) products? And from distribution to the retailer – who was

International Meat Topics — Volume 5 Number 2

the distributer, when was it distributed? – straight to the plate of the consumer.

Controlling the process The SFK LEBLANC traceability software tracks and traces products throughout the entire slaughtering, cutting and deboning process. With the arrival of the animals at the slaughterhouse, the software system receives information about farmer and animals. This information is stored in an open SQL database by a MES system, a manufacturing execution system specially developed by SFK LEBLANC for monitoring and controlling production processes in the food industry. MES adds information on every individual product throughout the process. All this information is stored in an open database in a central location.

Information can easily be retrieved from the system and passed on to the next station.

Methods and techniques In order to automate data collection, SFK LEBLANC uses a combination of different techniques. They can, for instance, identify Continued on page 23

21

The SFK LEBLANC traceability software tracks and traces products throughout the entire production process.

Continued from page 21 individual hooks, crates and packages through Radio Frequency Identification, or RFID. The tags use radio waves to communicate their identity to an RFID reader. With this method, each product can be identified uniquely. All information is connected to this unique trace identification.

Alternatively, identification can be done via 1D or 2D (QR) bar codes. And, since bar code and RFID readers are not suitable everywhere, algorithms are last but not least used to get a complete picture. Using actual line speed and the last point of identification, the current position of a product can be easily calculated.

When it turns out that the product location cannot be calculated, there are still other methods to ensure traceability.

One way to tell the system where a product came from or went to is, for instance, manual operator input, where the product will not leave the system without the operator entering the required information.

An important technique in improving traceability is Vision Technology, which aims to model human vision through computer

software and hardware. The Vision technique enables us to ‘see’ what product lies in front of us, based on its shape, colour, size, etc.

With this technique we can reduce the human error factor to zero.

Monitoring Connecting the MES system to an advanced technical control system, such as the SFK LEBLANC TCS, allows the manufacturer to make the most of the collected information.

Besides technical SCADA to monitor and control the industrial process, alarming, setting and trending is also possible.

In addition, their TCS system can use the stored data to calculate the production capacity and performance of your system, whether it is the performance per day, per department, per line or per employee, improving efficiency, quality and safety and achieving cost reduction.

At the end of the day, when the products leave the factory for global distribution to retailers and, ultimately, the consumers, the SFK LEBLANC traceability software has

Key reading for CEOs, technical, processing and quality assurance managers

International Meat Topics — Volume 5 Number 2

collected all the available information for anyone interested. It is even possible to add more information to it.

What does the future hold?

It would be an important step forward to give consumers access to the information they require. It will not be long before traceability is fully embedded in society and consumers can easily determine where their food comes from, for instance with a mobile App. Imagine buying groceries at the supermarket. You decide to buy steak, so you pick up a package of steak. The package is labelled with a code. You scan the code with the camera on your smartphone and the code tells you exactly where the cow grew up, what it ate during its life, where and when it was slaughtered. Your phone even suggests a recipe.

When the product you purchased is suddenly recalled due to possible contamination, you automatically receive a text message.

Pie in the sky, some might say, but I assure you, it is only a matter of time. n

HACCP • Microbiology • Pest Control Hygiene • Cleaning • Laboratory Testing Allergens • Foreign Body Detection Protective Clothing • Traceability Training • Audits • Food Chemistry To subscribe email: sw@positiveaction.co.uk or visit www.positiveaction.co.uk

23

Frozen broiler breast meat This Italian study (J. of Poult. Sci. 50 396-401) looked at the quality traits and sensory properties of pre-treated broiler breast meat (0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0, 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0% sodium chloride salted by hand).

A dozen fillets per group were used to determine pH, colour, sodium chloride content, drip loss, cooking loss or raw and minced meat, AK-shear force, TBARS analysis and levels of tenderness, juiciness and overall liking.

The addition of salt modified pH, colour, water holding capacity and texture. Increased levels of sodium chloride produced higher pH, darker colour, better water holding capacity and more tender meat. The maximum improvement in water holding capacity occurred with sodium chloride levels greater than 1.2%.

Sensory evaluation scores improved with salt levels of 0.8% and higher.

Listeria in Turkish chicken meat This Turkish survey (Berl. und Münch. Tier. Wochen. 127 43-49) looked at the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of Listeria monocytogenes in 116 chicken meat samples (50 carcases and 66 chicken meat pieces).

The findings are summarised in the table below.

Prevalence L. monocytogenes (%)

and it showed a higher inactivation of S. typhimurium on an agar plate.

However, there was no difference between single sided treatment for 10 minutes and both sides treated for five minutes for chicken breasts or pork loins.

Atmospheric pressure plasma jet treatment conditions including distance, time and direction may affect the efficiency of inactivation of S. typhimurium.

All samples

29.3

Lemon grass extracts

Carcases

22.0

Chicken meat pieces

34.8

In this Egyptian research (J. of Appl.

Scis. Res. 9 5035-5047) lemon grass and lime peel extracts were evaluated for their antimicrobial and antioxidant effects in chicken patties.

The results highlighted that the extracts had potential antibacterial effects against Bacillus cereus, Salmonella typhimurium and Staphylococcus aureus. Oil extracts showed more activity than fresh extracts. Antioxidant effects were also seen. Addition of optimum concentrations of lemon grass and lime peel extracts to chicken patties markedly reduced the formation of histamine, tyramine and putrescine.

All the isolates were subtypes 1/2a or 3a. Antimicrobial presence was not high (see table).

Antibiotic

Resistance (% of strains showing some resistance)

Gentamicin

1.96

Vancomycin

7.84

Penicillin G

11.76

Streptomycin

17.64

Tetracycline

13.72

Ampicillin

11.76

Some 14/51 isolates of L. monocytogenes were susceptible to all eight antimicrobials tested

Inactivation of S. typhimurium This Korean study (J. of An. Sci. and Tech. 55 545-549) investigated the optimal conditions for the application of an atmospheric pressure plasma jet or the inactivation of Salmonella typhimurium in chicken breasts and pork loins.

A treatment for 10 minutes was compared to one of five minutes

24

Piglet muscle and sow parity This Brazilian study (Can. J. of An. Sci. 93 471-475) involved 243 piglets obtained from 81 first to seventh parity sows and assessed the influence of parity on the piglets’ myogenesis. The piglets’ birthweights, muscle weights, muscle area and muscle secondary fibre numbers increased with parity.

The results of this study showed that parity influences the pre-natal development of piglets and the best muscle characteristics were found in third and fourth parity piglets.

Meat

Nuggets

Paneeh

Luncheon

Salmonella (%)

56

8

12

8

E. coli (%)

68

12

12

8

Campylobacter jejuni (%)

76

16

16

0

Bacillus cereus

60

8

0

90

Aeromonas hydrophilia

28

0

4

0

Egyptian enteropathogens This Egyptian survey (Alex. J. of Vet. Scis. 37 17-22) looked at 100 samples (chicken meat, nuggets, chicken paneeh and chicken luncheon meat in equal numbers).

The findings are summarised in the table above.

Selection against boar taint Some concerns have been raised regarding selection against boar taint (androstenone and skatole) because of potential unfavourable genetic correlations with important male fertility traits.

This Danish investigation (J. of An. Sci. 91 4659-4668) looked at this correlation in Danish Landrace pigs.

Skatole and androstenone were moderately to highly heritable at 0.33 and 0.59 respectively.

The data generated suggest the concentrations of androstenone and skatole can be reduced through genetic selection without negatively affecting male fertility traits in Danish Landrace pigs.

Staph. aureus in RTE poultry This Thai study (Annals of Microbiol.

64 131-138) examined 181 ready to eat (RTE) poultry meat samples and 11 (6%) were found to contain Staphylococcus aureus.

Of these 11 isolates, 10 were found to be resistant to at least one of the antibiotics tested and two were resistant to oxacillin.

Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis was evaluated as a biocontrol agent and all the Staphylococcus aureus isolates were found to be sensitive to antimicrobial substances in L. lactis subsp. lactis supernatants.

Cetylpyridinium chloride residues Cetylpyridinium chloride is a disinfectant that is used in US poultry

processing plants because of its strong antibacterial effect against bacteria such as campylobacter, salmonella and E. coli.

This Japanese paper (J. of Liq. Chrom. & Rel. Techs. 37 538-547) describes the development of a simple, rapid, stable and accurate method for the measurement of cetylpyridinium chloride residues in chicken meat by HPLC. The analytical method showed a correlation coefficient of 0.9997 and recoveries of cetylpyridinium chloride were between 83 and 89%.

Salmonella and listeria This Brazilian work (Acta Sci. Vet. 41 1164) was undertaken in the cutting room of a poultry processing plant that could process 20,000 birds per hour.

Samples were taken from surfaces before they were washed and after washing with hot water (45-50°C and 22.5 bar pressure or with 2% sodium hydroxide detergent). Three disinfectants (0.5% peracetic acid, 2% quaternary ammonium and 1% biguanide) were then applied for 15 minutes prior to rinsing.

Salmonella was not isolated from any of the surfaces. Listeria welshimeri was isolated from the conveyor and Listeria monocytogenes from the stainless steel – both prior to washing.

After washing with hot water listeria was still present on the conveyor but was not present after disinfection with 2% quaternary ammonium.

Lead and cadmium in giblets This Egyptian survey (Int. J. of Vet. Sci. and Med. 1 109-112) looked at lead and cadmium levels in 60 chicken giblets (livers, gizzards and hearts) collected from retail outlets in Ismailia City. The results are summarised in the table below.

Lead (ppm)

Cadmium (ppm)

Livers

0.8762±0.2089

0.0407±0.0290

Gizzards

0.3186±0.1462

0.0041±0.0028

Hearts

0.173±0.0677

0.0036±0.0008

International Meat Topics — Volume 5 Number 2

Frozen (-18°C) raw dressed chickens

Duck meat quality changes No of samples

500

300

195 (35%)

111(37%)

L. monocytogenes (%)

12.8

13.0

L. ivanovii (%)

19.4

18.0

L. grayi (%)

4.0

3.6

L. seeligeri (%)

1.0

1.0

L. welshimeri (%)

1.8

1.3

Contaminated with Listeria

This Chinese study (J. of South. Agric. 44 161-165) comprehensively analysed the process of post mortem aging in duck meats (pH, meat cutting stress, cooking losses and myofibrillar fragmentation index) from different varieties of ducks (Jinding, Jinling Liancheng and Cherry Valley).

It was concluded that the duck meat rigor mortis times were similar for all duck types at approximately two hours.

However, post mortem aging times varied and for this the longer the duck breeding age, the longer the post-mortem aging time. Cooking and processing should be avoided within two hours of kill and the most suitable processing and cooking time was one that was after duck meat rigor mortis had occurred.

Listeria in Sudanese chicken

Ostrich meat analysis

This Sudanese study (Brit. Microbiol.

Res. J. 4 28-38) screened 800 broiler meat samples. The results are summarised in the table above

This Brazilian study (Alim. e Nut. 24 209-216) was undertaken to determine the proximal composition, the profile of fatty acids and the calorific value of a commercial cut of ostrich thigh meat for meat sampled at the farm and at the supermarket.

No statistical differences were found between farm and supermarket sourced meats and the values obtained are summarised in the table below.

Parameter

Value

Moisture (%)

73.52

Protein (%)

21.79

Total fats (%)

1.42

Palmitic acid (as % of fats)

20.24

Stearic acid (as % of fats)

11.55

Oleic acid (as % of fats)

29.08

Linoleic acid (as % of fats) Calorific value of thigh meat

13.39 95.55103.87

to 24% and there were no differences to overall eating quality but there were differences to firmness and particle size.

Quality changes in stored meat

In this Iranian study (Afr. J. of Biotech. 13 181-184) samples of poultry meat with or without skin were tested for salmonella.

The results showed a high level of salmonella in the processing plants with more salmonella being isolated from the skinless samples than from those with skin on.

The aim of this German study (Arch. für Lebensmittelhygiene 64 160-167) was to assess how different packaging conditions (vacuum packed or MAP 80% O2 20% CO2) and meat types (pork and turkey) influenced meat quality during storage.

It was found that for both meats there were advantages to be obtained from MAP. Quality differences were found that were meat species related.

Microwave thawing

Effect of salt reduction

This Tunisian study (Afr. J. of Microbiol. Res. 8 109-117) was undertaken to evaluate the thawing of a large block of frozen poultry meat in a high frequency microwave oven (2.45 Ghz within 60 s).

Thawing by microwave was much quicker and resulted in less water loss. There were no microbiological issues with this thawing method.

This Danish work (Meat Sci. 96 4755) showed how moderate (2225%) and large (43-50%) reductions in salt affected yield, sensory quality and microbiological growth in hotdog sausages, bacon, cooked cured ham and salami.

In the severer salt reduction yield was reduced by 8% in sausages and 6% in ham whereas there was no

Iranian poultry meat salmonella

When compared to pork and beef, ostrich meat had a lower calorific value and higher polyunsaturated fatty acids. Levels of ω-3 fatty acids were similar to those found in fresh water fish.

Replacing pork backfat in sausages This study in Ghana (Meat Sci. 96 187-194) used rapeseed and sunflower oil to replace pork back fat in sausages. The oils were incorporated into the sausages as a preformed emulsion at a total fat content of approximately 12% with a reduced total saturated fatty acid composition from 38 to 14%.

A 20% partial replacement of the pork back fat reduced the total saturated fatty acid composition from 38

International Meat Topics — Volume 5 Number 2

Collected fresh and shock frozen (-40°C) then held at 18°C

effect on bacon or salami yield.

Microbiological growth was generally unaffected by reducing salt.

Salty taste, juiciness and texture were the sensory parameters most affected by salt reduction. In sausages and ham salt reduction from 2.2 to 1.7% and from 2.3 to 1.3% respectively did not change sensory properties, whereas in bacon and salami sensory properties were significantly affected after just a moderate salt reduction.

Dried salted pork meat This Brazilian study (Food Sci. and Tech 33 382-386) was undertaken to evaluate the physicochemical and microbiological parameters of pork meat subjected to dry salting when sodium chloride was added at 0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5 or 10.0% by meat weight.

The salting process reduced humidity and water activity and increased ash, chloride, palmitic acid and water holding capacity levels compared to the control.

Luminosity was lower and colour more intense with 2.5% sodium chloride. Cooking loss was lower with higher levels of added salt.

Horizontal spread of C. jejuni This Norwegian study (Agriculture 3 741-760) looked at the effect of different feed structures (control or control with 50% ground wheat replaced by whole wheat prior to pelleting) and bedding (rubber mats or shavings) on the horizontal spread of Campylobacter jejuni in broiler flocks and the caecal microbiota. A statistically significant effect was shown for increasing the whole wheat component of the diet on reducing the spread of C. jejuni.

No significant changes to the microbiota of the lower digestive tract were seen. Delaying the spread of C. jejuni in broiler flocks could result in fewer C. jejuni positive broilers at time of slaughter.

25

Growth oriented solutions Wenneman Meat Company, the wholesale meat distributor in St. Libory, IL, overcame a devastating plant fire in 2011 that forced them to completely rebuild their facility. The ‘failure is not an option’ attitude of third generation owners Brad Schmitz and Paul Otten practically ordained that Wenneman Meat would come back better and stronger.

Wenneman sells a wide array of premium quality meats, deli, processed meats, and seafood to hundreds of restaurants and supermarkets in surrounding states.

With the fire, the company lost its plant, but not its business. This was an opportunity to weigh every option and examine the entire operation. The watchword for equipping the new plant was optimal efficiency in every aspect, to support not only the thriving regional business, but new growth.

Fundamental to Wenneman’s extensive product line are popular processed meats like bologna, hot dogs and coarse ground Polish emulsions. So the choice of the new emulsifying system had to be spot on. They turned to a trusted business partner, Tipper Tie, for a solution. After an initial testing period, they

26

chose the TTCut125H, with its non metal-to-metal cutting system that produces up to 2,600lb per hour of high quality product.

The cutting versatility, high efficiency, and operator friendliness of the TTCut125H are such that it has become an integral piece in the development of new Wenneman’s products like liver sausage and lightly smoked Braunschweiger. Unlike a grinder, the 125H precisely cuts all emulsions, delivering defined particle sizes from coarse to fine cuts as small as 0.2mm. This heightened level of consistency routinely creates uniform product quality for Wenneman’s deli products.

Fast and easy cleanup and relatively low sound levels are additional advantages.

As the plant’s processing backbone, Wenneman has linked the 125H with a Tipper Tie KDCMA400 automated double clipper to maintain throughput at its maximum.

The versatile KCDMA400 delivers consistent, quality packages for Wenneman’s ground beef chubs, several types of summer sausage, Krakow chubs, cooked sausage chubs, deer salami, and 5lb chubs of taco filler. With its new emulsifier and clipper, Wenneman has made good on its pledge to optimise operational efficiency by automating cutting, emulsifying, stuffing, and clipping. This enables Wenneman to continue delivering premium quality meats to its loyal customers. b sryder@tippertie.com

Perfect tool management In the meat industry, seamless traceability from the raw material right down to the finished product is essential. The objective is to create transparency and a rapid flow of information along the entire chain, from production and marketing through to prevention and damage limitation.

Hygiene and safety standards – especially in relation to the traceability of knives and other tools – are a top priority in the meat industry.

The important thing is that tools should be unambiguously associated with the people who use them.

Every year companies incur high costs as a result of mislaid tools.

This can result in damage to machinery or the loss of complete production batches. In a case of damage it is not always possible to determine exactly how it came about.

For these reasons, there is already an urgent need today for a system whereby knives and other tools in use can be labelled and identified.

Some firms provide individual labelling on the handle or blade. The labelling can however result in hygiene problems, and the markings do not remain legible indefinitely.

Moreover it takes a lot of work to maintain manual lists or PC tables with all the different data that are involved.

The Friedr. Dick company has a new and uncomplicated solution to the problem: Knifeinspector easy.

This consists of the Knifeinspector easy 3.0 software together with a small radio frequency identification (RFID) reader..

The MasterGrip RFID and ExpertGrip 2K RFID knife series comes with an integrated RFID transponder – a complete system making it possible to monitor knives

and assign them to the person using them without possibility of error.

Other tools that are needed in the meat industry can also be supplied

by Friedr. Dick with an RFID transponder. The coding of the RFID transponder remains associated with the specific tool for the entire lifecycle and cannot be tampered with. So every knife and every tool becomes a unique and irreplaceable item.

The integrated RFID transponder enables you to identify knives and tools in a matter of seconds. b mail@dick.de

More products in more colours With the launch of their innovative new pink range, Vikan now offer the meat industry more high quality food safety cleaning products in more colours than any other manufacturer.

This expanded range offers a comprehensive selection of tools and equipment in nine colours all designed to provide food processing plants with superb hygiene standards, wide product choice, amazing value for money all backed up by excellent customer service.

Vikan’s Pink range includes brushes, brooms, squeegees, buckets and wall brackets all tailor made for specific cleaning tasks.

FDA and EU compliant the products are autoclavable at high temperatures for maximum hygiene.

Designed to promote operator confidence, the tools are comfortable and easy to use.

As part of their customer hygiene programme, Vikan also provide a free colour zoning service. b sales@vikan.co.uk

International Meat Topics — Volume 5 Number 2

Demand for beef in China Market fundamentals remain very positive for the global beef industry, according to Rabobank’s Q1 Beef Quarterly report. Firm demand as well as further tightening supply due to drought-induced herd retention in the US and some adverse weather conditions in Brazil and Australia – the three main beef exporters – pushed prices up across the globe in Q1 2014.

Combined with fluctuating exchange rates, these events have impacted competitive positions in export markets, with Brazil and Australia gaining export share in Q1 at the expense of the US. On the demand side, beef demand growth will continue to come mainly from China. Although 2014 imports in China are not expected to reach the growth levels experienced in

Enhanced bone detection Two advanced Ishida X-ray systems are providing enhanced quality control checks, detecting small bone particles in a range of brawn products from leading speciality producer Gold Meat, based in Zolder, Belgium.

Gold Meat produces a wide range of products for the retail market, both pre-packed and over the counter. Increasing demand for ever more stringent quality checks led the company to become one of the first in its sector to invest in X-ray technology. The company undertook a series of tests with a number of equipment suppliers before selecting Ishida.

Ishida X-ray systems use unique self-learning Genetic Algorithm (GA) technology to offer maximum sensitivity and reliability in the detection

2013, they will grow as Chinese farmers take little interest in government-supported production expansion and strong profits, and the market opening for Australian chilled fresh beef products. Market opening to Brazilian beef may happen imminently.

“Prospects for the global beef industry remains positive in Q2, with further possible upside due to continuing pressured beef supply and scarce supply of competing proteins which will continue to impact competitive positions,” Albert Vernooij, Rabobank analyst, told International Meat Topics.

“Brazilian cattle prices and exports have surged to record levels, and Australian droughts have encouraged historically high slaughter levels to meet global demand.” b albert.vernooij@rabobank.com

of impurities down to 0.3mm in size.

This focuses the machine to identify contaminants using image data analysis over a number of inspections. Data logging helps to build up a more precise calibration protocol with each inspection, which enables defects to be more easily identified and their location in the pack pinpointed.

The Ishida X-ray systems are being used to detect bone particles in slices and blocks of meat in 200g, 250g and 300g packs.

Gold Meat worked closely with long-term Ishida distributor BRN in Belgium in the installation of the two machines. The latest model, the IXGA-S-2462, features a number of specially requested enhancements.

For added protection, BRN has included extended covered infeed and outfeed conveyors, while the system also incorporates a bespoke reject system.

Special sensors in the reject bin signal to the machine that a rejected pack has left the line.

If for any reason this signal is not received the line is stopped so that the faulty pack can be identified and removed.

Another special feature of the machine is the portable gantry on which it sits to give it the flexibility to be moved to other packing lines if required. b info@nmpr.co.uk

International Meat Topics — Volume 5 Number 2

The new Meyn Flex grader uses proven high performance weighing technology to provide a high speed operation with excellent accuracy that is able to grade poultry products to a variety of different specifications. Depending on the application, top speeds of 235 weighings per minute can be achieved allowing direct connection to any cut up system. Grading can be carried out to specified weights, minimum weight or number per batch. It can also deliver target batching with tolerances and priorities. The Flex grader features a modular design that is suitable for any application and can easily be integrated into existing processing and packing lines and allows for future expansion. The double or single sided machine, with a minimum of four and a maximum of 24 stations, can be fitted with catch or slap arms, depending on application. The robust construction ensures reliable operation in even the harshest environments, while simple set-up operations via the touch screen and an easy-clean open frame design minimise downtime for cleaning and product changeovers. The Meyn Flex grader provides maximum flexibility and largely reduces give away while allowing you to quickly and effectively respond to ever changing market demands. b jkoops@meyn.com

Process Expo 2015 expands show floor The Food Processing Suppliers Association is expanding the show floor for the 2015 Process Expo to provide additional space for new exhibitors.

The new space is being added to the floor plan as a result of greater than expected demand among exhibitors.

Process Expo 2015 is scheduled to take place from 15-18th September 2015 and will be held in the North Hall and Lakeside Center of McCormick Place, Chicago, USA. b gyee@fpsa.org

Investment in Marel marinating system Marinating is an effective way of increasing consumer appeal, product quality and ease of cooking, and a growth area more and more processors look to invest in.

When Dutch food processor

2Sisters Storteboom, a division of UK based 2Sisters Food Group Ltd, decided to expand their activities in the fast growing retail market, they searched for a marinating system that could combine high capacity with excellent product quality while working efficiently inline.

They selected Marel’s ValueDrum which has many advantages over traditional tumblers. As products are constantly in motion, they cannot be crushed under their own weight. This also guarantees an even distribution of marinade and herbs on the products providing excellent appearance, quality and flavour.

ValueDrum is easy to load and the end products can be loaded and packed in retail trays straight from the machine’s conveyor. It is also very easy to change recipes without the need for further weighing and measuring. Another important benefit, especially for poultry products, is ‘skin coverage’. For both look and flavour it is vital the chicken skin stays intact when processing legs, wings or whole birds. b kathrin.gerbe@marel.com

27

DNA testing extended Campden BRI has extended its accreditation by UKAS to cover DNA-based meat species authenticity testing. UKAS accreditation is a recognised international standard for competence, impartiality and performance capability.

Originally developed by Campden BRI for the Food Standards Agency over 10 years ago, the test uses realtime PCR (polymerase chain reaction) to allow sensitive detection of meat species.

The demand for accredited testing in this area follows the heightened interest in species testing in the last 12 months.

The accreditation is timely as the FSA is now encouraging the industry to test for species cross-contamination at levels less than 1.0% on a weight for weight basis.

Thus, standard immunoassay tests used by the industry are not sensitive enough.

“Adulteration and authenticity of meat products was brought to the

Accurate and high quality grinding Whenever accurate and high quality grinding for products such as salami, raw sausages or hamburgers is required, the Iozzelli TCS Compat automatic straight grinder is the best solution thanks to its direct feeding inlet ensuring no smearing and tearing.

The 300 or 350 litre feeding hopper is equipped with an auxiliary feeding arm easing product flow to grinding screw. Available in several executions: 150 and 180 grinding head for Excelsior or Enterprise cut-

fore in 2013 when a number of UK processed beef products were found to contain horsemeat,” Steve Garrett, authenticity team leader at Campden BRI, told International Meat Topics.

“Demand for our meat testing service increased dramatically and we allocated extra resource to ensure we could cope with demand from our members and clients. “ Our accredited service currently covers beef, chicken, lamb, pork and turkey, but more importantly the UKAS accreditation is flexible, enabling us to add further animal species in future and react to the needs of the food industry.”

The UKAS accreditation of Campden BRI’s meat species identification testing follows on from the UKAS accreditation for its DNAbased fish species identification service, which the company received in 2005 – again based on methods it developed through a series of projects, supported by the FSA. b tim.hutton@campdenbri.co.uk

ting sets, 18, 22, 30 or 37kw knives motor power, such a machine meets the needs of both large and small producers.

These machines are equipped with the Iozzelli ‘extermination’ grinding system. This mechanical device turns knives twice as fast (whenever hard meat has to be processed) or at the same speed as a grinding screw (for other kinds of meat).

The 200 litre column loader, Unger cutting system (160 or 200mm grinding outlet), variable knives shaft turns by means of power inverter and desinewing device (featuring special cutting systems) are also available on demand.

Every machine features Iozzelli mechanical gear reducers – a strong warranty of long lasting performances and high reliability. b info@iozzelli.it

Choosing the right forming technology It is absolutely imperative that global food processors utilise the most appropriate forming machinery and systems available in order to effec-

28

Fully automated solution Visualise a chaotic pile of sausages and then a neatly packed tray of sausages in a supermarket display.

How do you automatically orient difficult-to-handle products such as long sausages in a tray and how do you ensure the right amount of product?

The solution is simple. Cabinplant offer a winning formula of an innovative turnkey solution perfectly designed according to customer need.

The essence of the innovation and the great advantage for the sausage producers is accurate portion weighing to fixed weight and accurate counting of product.

Automation (horizontal and stepwise filling) is obviously the key parameter since vertically oriented packing of a long product has always involved a large amount of operators. Cabinplant’s solution incorporates a large number of their existing key machines, such as their multihead weigher with vibratory feeding.

The combinatorial weighing principle ensures minimum give-away and the state-of-the-art sausage depositor results in a labour saving solution which is no less than a revolution for the customer.

The distribution tool and form parts are exchangeable, allowing various tools to be used on the same packing machine for different tray sizes or quantities. Sausage type and length, tray size and number of sausages per tray depends on customer request. Capacity is up to 120 portions per minute.

“With this innovation, the sausage producers can now automate and optimise their packing process,” Johnnie Erichsen, senior vice president, CCO, told International Meat Topics.

Cabinplant equipment not only enables production of competitive, value-added products, but is also designed to ensure fast return on investment by reducing operating costs. b mbs@cabinplant.com

tively respond to a wide variety of formed product needs. Although most forming systems can be divided into two categories, slide plate and rotary formers, each processor’s needs are different and there are distinct slide plate and rotary former features that make choosing the right solution critical to the success of your formed product production.

In order to help processors choose the right processing equipment to meet their specific forming needs, the Formax product team has developed and published a white paper entitled, Choosing the Right Forming Technology: Slide Plate or

Rotary. It can be downloaded at provisurwhitepapers.com/forming.

The main topics addressed in this white paper are slide plate forming basics; rotary forming basics; NovaMax and VerTex technology benefits; high/low pressure forming.

Slide plate formers are perfectly suited for processors that form a wide variety of formed products and require a wide variety of tooling, while rotary forming systems are best suited for processors that form high volumes of product with minimal tooling changes. This paper discusses the advantages and potential disadvantages of each format. b tom.tonra@provisur.com

International Meat Topics — Volume 5 Number 2

High hygienic concept For many years Lima have focused on the development of their meat bone separators, deboners and desinewers to minimise the risk of bacteriological contamination.

Obviously, the bacteriological level of the raw material entering into the separators cannot be improved, but its proliferation and pollution on fresh non-contaminated meats can be limited and eventually avoided.

Lima’s specific design of the meat circuit decreases the dead angles and other favourable areas for microbial germs to develop.

Their engineers are convinced that the ergonomic design decreases surface exposure and therefore impacts positively on the non-proliferation of bacterium and makes their destruction easier. In the same way, the stainless steel grade and surface treatment and welding quality play a significant role.

Meat identification project Three UK companies have secured government funding to accelerate the development of a new test to combat food fraud in the wake of the horsemeat scandal.

The test will detect any DNA in processed foods coming from at least 12 different animal species, including some not normally associated with the food chain. By quantifying the relative amounts of DNA, the test will also indicate the severity of any contamination or deliberate adulteration.

The one-year project is a collaboration between Safeguard Biosystems Holdings Ltd (SG Bio), Reading Scientific Services Ltd and Arrayjet Ltd. Its potential impact was recognised by the UK’s innovation agency, the Technology Strategy Board, who

The need for sanitisation chemicals is thus diminished and this contributes to a greener environment as well as a more profitable global operation.

In addition, the low energy required for the separation deboning or desinewing mechanical operations impacts positively on the temperature of the final desinewed or deboned meat and its quality.

A large hopper facilitates the adaptation of UV systems or even light flashes, which diminish the level of bacterium.

This wide open hopper concept allows easy, quick and full access to all the inside surfaces of the hoppers.

All parts that come into contact with the meat can be totally disassembled and placed on a specially designed servicing and cleaning sanitisation trolley. b lima@lima-france.com

will co-fund it with the Food Standards Agency and the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs. Additional funding is provided by the three companies.

This new test is based on proprietary DNA detection technology, developed by the lead partner SG Bio, and will allow identification and quantification of cow, pig, chicken, horse, goat, sheep, turkey, donkey, dog, cat, rat and mouse in foods.

The principle of the test is to identify the targeted DNA sequences in a given food sample and then to calculate the ratio of different species within a sample to establish whether adulteration or contamination has occurred.

The new test aims to reduce the cost and time of food testing so that it becomes possible to routinely check all points in the supply chain.

The currently available tests are limited by cost and time. The key to

International Meat Topics — Volume 5 Number 2

Many international meat product specialists manufacture today with the new generation of IQF fluidised bed systems made by Heinen Freezing. The freezelite for small and medium throughput and the blizzard for medium and high capacities are designed for cooling and freezing of bulk products such as diced meat, poultry pieces or seafood – all lumpy products that may be taken off from the frozen plastic bag in small amounts from the entire package where the user does not need the complete content of the bag. b Michaela.Teschner@heinen.biz

speeding up the process and bringing down costs is making it highthroughput.

It will do this by taking advantage of microarray technology, which enables biological tests to be miniaturised and multiplexed. This allows multiple DNA tests to be carried out on a single sample simultaneously, whilst also enabling multiple food samples to be processed in parallel. b sarah.milnedas@rssl.com

Intelligent online tool The vast range of flexible solutions available from Formax Forming has been designed to meet each of your application needs. Your operation is unique, so they have developed state-of-the-art, technologically advanced equipment for every application, shape, and size with an unmatched range of capacities.

Ranging from product quality to productivity to food safety and sustainability, the Formax brand has led the industry with innovative forming technology solutions that help their customers improve their operations, product quality, and line efficiencies.

However, determining the exact solution for your operation can be a complex decision, which is based on getting the correct answers to a highly specific set of questions about your production needs. After all,

choosing the wrong piece of forming equipment will result in a costly mistake that could jeopardise both your product quality and line efficiencies.

This is why Provisur have developed the Formax Configurator, a new, intelligent, user-friendly, interactive, online tool designed specifically to help processors quickly and efficiently select the right forming equipment to optimise line performance, while delivering the lowest cost of ownership.

This handy tool is available at FormaxConfigurator.com, and with just a few clicks it can help you make the best decision for your unique operation.

The Formax Configurator puts Provisur expertise at your fingertips, simplifying the decision making process to ensure each forming equipment decision is not only the right choice – but the best choice based on your specific needs.

Their years of experience have allowed them to engineer equipment that gives you great weight consistency and portion control, all with exceptional food safety. b tom.tonra@provisur.com

Please mention

International

Meat Topics when sourcing further information.

29

Diary 2014 Year VIV India 23-25th April Bangalore, India www.ildex.com

Perfect production planning

The OX-Biocontrol Box from Grupo OX is a useful tool for the verification of operating procedures in accordance with ISO, HACCP, BRC, IFS or other internal standards set by the company.

It contains all the necessary tools for objective assessment of good hygiene and disinfection. The kit contains easy to handle tools and provides immediate and reliable results. b info@jjinternational.be

No lessons learnt from horsemeat?

A number of recent news stories have highlighted ongoing issues with food mislabelling and fraud. This includes an alarming number of instances of mislabelled food products in the UK and reports of more than 1200 tonnes of fake food seized as part of an Interpol-Europol investigation.

Of particular concern, given last year’s horsemeat scandal, was how often cheaper meats were found being passed off as more expensive products: poultry labelled as ham, pork as beef, and beef as ham. This comes as the EU plans for a second round of testing for horsemeat.

These findings highlight the importance for food manufacturers of a regular testing programme to ensure the authenticity of their ingredients and reliability of the supply chain.

RSSL is experiencing increased demand for testing of ingredients that are vulnerable to substitution/ adulteration – in particular, the authentication of fish and meat.

As a multi-disciplinary laboratory with many years’ experience in product and ingredient authentication, RSSL can support manufacturers, suppliers and retailers in maintaining the integrity, quality and safety of products. b sarah.milnedas@rssl.com

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Vantage Foods is one of the first businesses in the world to benefit from Integreater's brand new Production Planning software. Their factory is the largest case ready meat plant in North America and is managed by Vantage for one of the largest retailers in the US – Ahold.

This factory management solution from Systems Integration (SI) has been specifically developed for food processing businesses involved with high volume retail packing.

In addition to the usual production planning issues, fresh meat processors face a number of unique challenges associated with the perishable nature of their products and the short deadlines they have to work to. This often results in hours of planning preparation every day. To solve this problem, SI worked with food manufacturers to develop a unique solution that will enable anyone to build and update a live plan in seconds.

“Without Production Planning we would spend hours producing a daily plan using spreadsheets,” Kerri Castillo, Vantage’s scheduler, told International Meat Topics.

“We have hundreds of products in our range, some of which are made from the same raw materials but have to be processed on different production lines and at different times. Our delivery vehicles also depart at various times to reach

Optimal yields and flexibility Foodmate’s new Opti-Ltd Dark Meat Deboning System is a flexible, total dark meat deboning solution that produces high yield, superior quality meat efficiently and cost effectively.

Capable of deboning 100 skinless or skin-on anatomical whole legs, thighs and drumsticks per minute,

depots in different parts of the country. This means we may have to stagger production accordingly. To add to the pressure, we often receive last minute changes and top up orders.

“With Integreater it takes just a few clicks of the mouse to create and perhaps, more importantly, update a plan. I can see my entire plan on one screen and have complete visibility of Forecast, Pre and Final orders. I can add forward production or adjustments easily. I can also click on any item for detailed associated data such as which stores' orders contribute to a product's production figure. I’m able to make changes, add orders, move products onto different lines or even insert breaks with a click of the mouse. Integreater will automatically calculate and display any knock on effects these changes will have instantly.”

Creating a daily plan is so easy.

Integreater automatically calculates everything they need to achieve 100% order fulfilment while using raw materials and labour in the most efficient manner.

Production line supervisors and crew also have a live, real-time view of the plan through screens on the factory floor. They can see their progress and are immediately alerted to any changes, additions or bottlenecks. b Jodie.Taylor@siltd.co.uk

IAFP Europe 7-9th May Budapest, Hungary www.foodprotection.org

Interpack 8-15th May Dusseldorf, Germany www.interpack.de

VIV Europe 20-22nd May Utrecht, Holland www.viveurope.nl

20th IMS World Meat Congress 14-16th June Beijing, China www.worldmeatcongress.com

CIMIE 2014 17-19th June Beijing, China www.cimie.com

Indo Livestock 18-20th June Jakarta, Indonesia www.indolivestock.com

IAFP USA 3-6th August Indianapolis, USA www.foodprotection.org

SÜFFA this system is so flexible that no additional parts or changes are required when switching between the various dark meat deboned products.

The key benefits include: l Debone 100 whole legs thighs or drumsticks per minute. l Designed to debone any size bird. l Minimal bone content – less trimming required. l Capable of meeting all boneless leg meat specifications. l Excellent yields. l Can process both left and right legs at the same time. l High output per operator. l Simple all mechanical design. l User friendly and easy to maintain. l Low cost of ownership. b info@foodmateusa.com

International Meat Topics — Volume 5 Number 2

28-30th September Stuttgart, Germany www.sueffa.de

IPA 19-23rd October Paris, France www.sialparis.com

2nd International Symposium on Fermented Meats 20-23rd October Valencia, Spain www.fermentedmeatvalencia2014.com

Meat China 12-14th November Shanghai, China fhc@chinaallworld.com