FOOD PROCESSING
34
STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE: GEA’S COMPLETE SOLUTION FOR CHICKEN NUGGETS
T
he global processed food industry is expected to experience significant growth in the next few years as meal consumption behaviour amongst consumers is shifting drastically. Convenience foods like chicken nuggets remain extremely popular, with many people choosing this classic meal when they are pressed for time or for on-the-go consumption. Meeting the demand for one of the world’s most popular fast food items takes a lot of nuggets, which is where GEA has stepped up to the plate. GEA is now offering a completely automated line solutions that can process tons of them per hour, taking only six minutes for a nugget to complete the production line. One of the world’s leading suppliers of high-tech food processing equipment, GEA has perfected technology that takes the product from meat delivery through grinding, mixing, forming, coating, cooking, frying and freezing in one seamless, fully automatic process. The result – perfectly formed crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, golden chicken nuggets that go down a treat with consumers. GEA offers a complete data-connected production
FOOD BUSINESS GULF & MIDDLE EAST
set-up that ensures consistent high-quality products making efficient use of resources, energy and labor in meat manufacturing. Key to the whole process is the GEA MaxiFormer that features a unique step-fill system which fills each cavity consistently to ensure excellent shape retention without peaks on the filling or wastage from smearing. Explaining the benefits for food manufacturers of having a single supplier of all the production equipment needed to process chicken nuggets, Luuc van Lankveld, GEA’s Product Expert on Processing said: “Having different suppliers means that the customer is responsible for the integration of the machines in the line. We can provide a complete solution, taking that stress away and saving manufacturers time and money.” Leading supplier of cooked chicken products Danpo installed its first fully automated chicken nugget line at its plant in Farre, Denmark. Product Technical Manager Per Ulrik Jørgensen commented, “with GEA delivering all the equipment on the line we knew for sure that each element would fit together and be compatible and the step-filling feature means that we can run with a slightly higher temperature on the meat prior to forming so we
J U LY- S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 0
