Meat Packing Journal, Nov-Dec 2016, iss 6 vol 3

The international magazine for the meat and poultry industry

MEAT PACKING J O U R N A L

November~December 2016 volume 3 | issue 6 ISSN 2054-4685

the Future of food forming P.24

high pressure processing

P.58

Iran: not for the faint hearted

P.42

ippe preview – you have to go!

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C o Mmen t

Eurek a

moment s

O

ne problem with getting older is that it’s hard to get excited about most things – you have either seen it, done it, or have been around the block enough time to know it’s not true. Despite what PR, advertising, and marketing firms might want us to believe about their clients’ products, there is nothing “unique” or “revolutionary” out there.

Or so I thought until last week with two items which could just well jolt the preserved meat industry forward by 20-30 years and both have to do with the potential of removing sodium nitrates from processed foods.

It was in the 1960s that I first started to hear warnings about sodium nitrates – primarily in lunch meats and hot dogs – and it hit a crescendo in the 1970s when for a brief time the USDA thought about banning sodium nitrates. This was until calmer heads prevailed and they realized that botulism and other pathogens, which the nitrates prevent, would be a more serious health risk. Since then the hubbub would die down for a few years, someone would resurrect it, and once again, the sodium nitrates bogyman was going to get you.

Last year the WHO came out with a damning report, almost equating the eating of lunch meats with playing Russian roulette with six bullets in the chamber. This made the news around the world and last week the BBC – never at the forefront – jumped on the bandwagon as well.

Over the last couple of years, clever companies around the world have started replacing sodium nitrates with the very natural sounding ‘celery juice’ or ‘celery powder’ which just happens to have a high amount of naturally occurring sodium nitrates. This allows them to sell their product as ‘natural’ or ‘uncured’ although it has the same amount of nitrates as the regular brands.

While if sodium nitrates could kill you I would have been dead 30-years ago, the lemmings seem very determined this time around to make a serious attack against nitrates and lunch meats. It might be time to face reality and accept that an alternative has to be found. Let me present two ideas.

The first came about by going to see Deli24, a high pressure processing (HPP) center located about a twohour drive north of London. I’ve read about HPP, spoken to the folks at California’s Foster Farm Chicken about theirs, and even watched YouTube clips of an HPP in action. For those of you in the dark about HPP and haven’t yet read the article about Deli24 in this issue, basically like the name implies, HPP uses high pressure to to get rid pathogens in some food products. How high is the pressure? Nuclear submarines succumb to crush depth at around 2,400 feet; the pressure inside an HPP chamber is equivalent to 216,000 feet under water.

HPP has been around in theory for over a hundred

www.meatpacking.info

Editor's choice

I

ran. Global pariah or just misunderstood? If you don't mind hitting your head against a wall, it could be your klondike. Page 58

years and has been used commercially for last 20, with maybe the last five-years it beginning to come into its own. While some meat companies are using HPP, its main users are raw drink producers who see their product go from having a shelf life of four days to one of twomonths or longer.

For something like lunch meat, salami, etc, HPP works like a champ except for two problems. The first is the canisters feeding into the HPP machine are not huge and the products are manually loaded and unloaded in the canisters. Even if Hormel, Oscar Meyer, or Butterball decided today to go 100% HPP, they couldn’t do it and maintain their volume. Somebody has to figure out how to make the machines lighter (Deli24’s weighs in at a massive 120 metric tons – about the same as 20 African elephants), be able to take more product, and to bring in robotics. Second, there needs to be research exploring the use of HPP as a sodium nitrate replacement. HPP has completely changed the juice industry; there is no reason why it can’t do the same for meat.

The other item I'll mention is Natpre T-10 which UK promoter Scobie & Junor claims is a complete replacement for sodium nitrates. Scobie & Junor say that Natpre T-10 has been tested, approved, and is ready and available. Have you heard of it? No, either have I, but I will be meeting soon with the head of the company.

What I find – either positive or negative – I’ll present in MPJ. If what they claim is true, it could change the entire industry. I wish I could say that I’m not skeptical, but I’ve heard this before. Here’s to hoping I’ll be proven wrong – it won’t be the first time. I will keep you posted.

Velo Mitrovich velo@meatpacking.info @Meat_Packing

November~December 2016 | Meat Packing Journal | 5

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C ONTENT S

c ontent s 18

32

72

24

58

Cover story

18 - It might not look pretty but this is where meat products begin.

Making money in the food forming market.

FOOD FORMING 18 - The WHO and consumers are not on the same song sheet. What people want.

24 - It truly seems like magaic. High pressure processing at Deli24 32 - Q&A with Reiser's Jim Kerr 36 - Polish plant making ham and salami by the ton food forming products 38 - The latest in technology plus value-added ham without adding costs and the future of the meat snack industry Ippe preview 42 - January's show will be the biggest yet.

Dont forget to visit the MPJ team at booth 1300 in hall C

8 | Meat Packing Journal | November~December 2016

country profile: iran 58 - This hard to figure country could be where you make your fortune 66 - Q&A with Nick Smit. What you need to know on working in Iran and Saudi Arabia red meat 70 - The new Bonanza steak cut – add value 72 - Forget the 'Boomers', the Millennials with drive the demand for meat also in this issue 9 - News 15 - Safety news 74 - Distribution news 76 - Marketing news 78 - Product news 81 - Events

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China to allow in US BEEF

T

he stakes are high: legal entry into what is potentially the world’s largest beef market – but will it actually happen?

China’s Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) and General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) have lifted the longstanding Chinese ban on US beef exports, according to an announcement from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

But MPJ cautions that this initial deal will not lead to a stampede of beef exports from the USA into China. Chinese negotiations seem to always have a way of dragging on – this one has been ongoing for over a decade – and require only the slightest nudge to derail the entire process. Considering the amount of military hardware both countries have in the volatile South China Sea, the odds seem in favor of the deal

falling by the wayside.

The lifting of the ban will include both boneless and bone-in beef from cattle below 30 months of age and is the first part in a three-step process to restore US beef exports to China. When all three steps are complete, only then will US beef be allowed to be exported to China – as opposed to how it enters China now through Hong Kong’s gray market.

The next step in this process is for the relevant US agencies to negotiate a mutually acceptable export protocol with China’s relevant agencies (led by AQSIQ). This export protocol will specify the conditions that US beef exporters must meet when exporting to China. It is anticipated that in addition to veterinary health requirements (generally inspection and quarantine concerns), the protocol will include also traceability requirements.

The USDA’s current understanding is that after the protocol is established between the United States and China, a Chinese delegation composed of AQSIQ and MOA experts will visit the United States and conduct an audit against the established protocol. Upon the successful completion of the audit, US beef that complies with the protocol will be allowed to be exported to China.

If the US actually pulls this deal off, American access will likely come at the expense of Australia’s market share, but will it be able to knock off Brazil? Brazil, with its devalued currency, was allowed to ship beef to China last year, shipping almost 166,000 metric tons and becoming its largest supplier. A strong US dollar might not win against a weak Brazilian real.

Is everyone going for grass?

G

rass-fed beef seems to becoming more than just the norm. In the USA, consumers can find grass-fed beef products at ballparks, sports bars, and at nearly every Wal-Mart where it’s sold as mostly organic ground beef (mince) after a two-year trial.

Sam’s Club started selling grassfed beef in 200 stores last spring and by the end of the year will sell it in about two-thirds of its 654 stores.

Even statisticians are going crazy for grass-fed beef. Sales of grassfed are up 40 percent in 2015 when compared to the year before; regular beef grew only 6.5 percent during the same period.

But the grass isn’t necessarily greener on the other side of the fence. While “40 percent” makes it appear nearly half of consumers www.meatpacking.info

are going for grass-fed, that figure in actuality is only 01.4 percent of the total $18 billion US fresh beef market.

And the country’s second largest retailer, Costco Wholesale, has decided not to sell grass-fed beef, finding the definition too vague and the taste inconsistent.

According to the US Department of Agriculture, the grass-fed marketing claim standard requires that animals be fed only grass and forage, with the exception of milk consumed prior to weaning. Animals certified under this program cannot be fed grain or grain byproducts and must have continuous access to pasture during the growing season.

Some, however, believe these standards don’t go far enough.

“When consumers see grass-fed on a label, they have this vision in

mind that the meat came from nottoo-far away, from animals out on a pasture and not given antibiotics and hormones, and in many cases, that’s not the truth,” Marilyn Noble, a spokesperson for the American Grassfed Association, told The Wall Street Journal. The Association’s standards are not only stricter all around, but also require that the cattle are only raised on American family farms. It doesn’t explain how the average American consumer could then afford grass-fed beef.

Whole Foods Market remains on a planet all its own. Theo Weening, Whole Foods’ global meat coordinator, told the WSJ that he expects demand for grass-fed beef will grow well beyond human appetites.

“When a customer likes grass-fed beef and they have a dog, they want the dog to have grass-fed beef, too.”

November~December 2016 | Meat Packing Journal | 11

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Canadian sustainable beef findings

T

he Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) has released the findings of the National Beef Sustainability Assessment and Strategy two-year, ‘farm to fork’ study that benchmarks the environmental, social, and economic performance of the Canadian beef industry. The Assessment also lays out a strategy for the CRSB to advance sustainability efforts in the industry and measure progress going forward.

The Assessment is the first of its kind for the Canadian beef industry.

It provides a comprehensive picture of the industry’s sustainability performance at the national level, said Cherie Copithorne-Barnes, a rancher from Jumping Pound, Alberta and Chair of the CRSB. “We examined all aspects of the value chain, from farming all the way through to consumption.”

With this science-based information, the industry will be able to communicate more effectively

with partners, stakeholders, and the public. Looking forward, the Sustainability Strategy will help ensure the CRSB can focus its efforts in the most appropriate areas.

Standard environmental life cycle topics, such as climate change, fossil fuel use, water use, and air and land pollution potentials were examined in the Assessment, along with new areas including biodiversity and carbon storage. The Assessment also covered a broad range of social life cycle topics, including animal health and welfare and antimicrobial use, and economic sustainability from a producer viability and consumer resiliency point of view.

“The results reflect positively on the Canadian beef industry,” noted Fawn Jackson, Executive Director of the CRSB. “However, there are still opportunities for improvement, as well as areas in which industry wants to continue to excel, which is why the National Beef Sustainability Strategy was created.”

US will eat more beef and pork

A

merica’s consumption of beef and pork will undergo a steady rise during the next 10 years, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

The Department’s baseline projections, which provide a long-term view of the US farm sector, show that the production of beef and

pork will expand steadily between 2016 and 2025, driven by lower feed costs and strong meat demand domestically and abroad.

As a result of this greater production, beef and pork prices are projected to drop 10.6 percent and 11.6 percent, respectively, over the same period. Cheaper prices will help reverse a multiyear decline in meat consumption in the States. Per capita consumption of beef is also forecast to increase 2.7 percent by 2025, outpacing growth in consumption of broilers (2.3 percent) and pork (1.7 percent). USDA expects this will increase the total amount of meat consumed per person in the U.S. from 211 pounds in 2015 to nearly 219 pounds by 2025.

12 | Meat Packing Journal | November~December 2016

French lamb in tight supply

R

ecent weeks in France have seen a tightening of supply of lambs, resulting in a rise of prices at both the producer and wholesaler level by as much as 15%.

Part of the problem was the increased demand for lamb on Eid which fell this year in September. During Eid, which is the last day of the Muslim fasting period of Ramadan, it is traditional to have lamb.

French producers were expecting a downturn in supple this year, according to the Institut de l’Elevage in its spring forecasts. This was mainly due to the decline in the sheep breeding flock, reported last December. Coupled with lambs being marketed earlier this year, this helps explain the downturn in availability of lambs.

Import demand has picked up, with lamb coming in from the UK. This, however, has not yet caused a significant upturn in import prices.

Polish pork up

P

olish exports of fresh/frozen pork increased in the first half of 2016, up 13 percent from last year to almost 220,000 metric tons, according to the AHDB. Italy remained the largest recipient of Polish pork, although volumes were back 4 percent, and it accounted for just under 15 per cent of all Polish exports.

Poland’s agriculture industry continues to rise in production figures, with its poultry industry now Europe’s largest.

Pork shipments to Germany, the USA, and Hong Kong continued to rise, with exports to the United States and Hong Kong more than doubling on last year’s levels.

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workers ignoring Food safety training I n a recent global survey of the food industry, almost all surveyed food companies said that they are able to give employees needed food safety training, but well over half find not all employees follow the training on the plant floor.

The survey was sent to over 25,000 small to large companies representing a range of food sectors including beverage, dairy, meat, retail, packaged foods, produce, and bakery. Alchemy Systems, in partnership with the Campden BRI, SQF Institute, British Retail Consortium, SGS, and TSI released the 2016 results of a global survey of food companies about their food safety training practices and challenges.

The 2016 Global Food Safety Training Survey responses indicate that companies are strongly committed to food safety training. In fact, 88 percent of respondents agreed with the statement: “Based on the current management support, I am able to provide the needed food safety training to drive appropriate, consistent food safety behaviors.”

However, many companies strug-

Contaminated water USA: Bunge’s Meats of Pennsylvania is recalling an undetermined amount of pork sausage products that were produced with water that did not meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s drinking water standards.

The problem was discovered while an Enforcement, Investigations, and Analysis Officer (EIAO) was reviewing records during a Food Safety Assessment. The EIAO observed that results from the www.meatpacking.info

gle to translate that commitment to actual employee behavior on the plant floor. In the survey, 62 percent of respondents agreed with the statement: “Despite our efforts in food safety classroom training, we still have employees not following our food safety program on the plant floor.”

Food safety leaders around the world agree that effective employee training can have a direct impact on food safety and product quality.

The survey shows that 75 percent of respondents believe that employees would be more productive if their food safety program were consistently applied. They also noted that the top three benefits from effective training are improved food safety culture, improved product quality, and fewer food safety incidents.

Companies are devoting significant time to food safety training.

About 75 percent of employees get four or more hours per year of training per year. For supervisors and managers, 50 percent get nine or more hours of training per year.

However, 44 percent of companies are creating an exposure by not mandating the same training for

their contract and temporary workers.

The survey indicates several areas where training could be improved for better comprehension and engagement. For example, 34 percent of respondents indicated that “lack of understanding” by workers is the top training-related audit deficiency.

The training materials may not be suitable for a highly diverse workforce with multi-language learners and varying education levels.

Another training-related audit deficiency is the “lack of refresher training” for frontline workers.

Academic studies show that learners forget the content quickly and must be provided with booster training to keep important safety concepts top-of-mind.

“Closing the gap between a company’s commitment to food safety and the frontline’s actual behaviors requires new thinking and approaches,” said Jeff Eastman, CEO of Alchemy Systems. “Companies need to devise interactive and relevant training programs that will engage employees with real-world safety scenarios and team activities so they make the right food safety decisions on the plant floor.”

establishment’s third party testing laboratory indicated that water samples collected were positive for Coliform bacteria. The water is used in the formulation of the pork sausage products.

allergen which is not declared on the product label.

The problem was discovered in a retail store by a company representative and immediately reported to FSIS. The product has the correct label on the front of the package, which identifies that the product contains cheese.

However, the label in the back fails to include cheddar cheese as an ingredient – the source of milk.

As a result, milk is not included in the ingredients statement or in the “Contains” allergen declaration.

Sausage misbranding USA: WFSP Foods of Alabama is recalling 18,672 pounds of pork and chicken sausage products due to misbranding and undeclared allergens, FSIS announced. The products contain milk, a known

November~December 2016 | Meat Packing Journal | 17

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Grocery prepared meals face safety issues

I

t’s hard to miss it. In most major upscale US, Asian, and European supermarkets part of the stores are now looking like takeaway restaurants.

But, according to a warning by the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and reported by The Wall Street Journal, this rapid expansion into prepared meals has brought about food-safety issues which are getting harder and harder to manage.

The FDA’s warning followed an E.coli outbreak last year that was linked to rotisserie chicken salad made at Costco Wholesale Corp. and sickened 19 people. Deli foods from the Boise Co-Op, a natural-foods grocer in Idaho, were also tied to a salmonella outbreak last year that sickened nearly 300 people.

The Millennial generation in particular has taken to these prepared meals which was pioneered by Whole Foods Market. Fresh prepared foods generated $15 billion in sales in supermarkets in 2005, a figure

that has nearly doubled to about $28 billion last year, according to Technomic, a food industry research firm.

But, according to the WSJ, after foodborne illness scares at a particular store, Whole Foods is now overhauling its approach, including discontinuing the processing of meat, poultry and raw seafood in that kitchen and two others.

Salmonella is the most common

outbreak tied to stores, followed by norovirus.

Part of the problem that stores are having in keeping food safety issues at bay is the high turnover of staff. While employees might be trained on food safety, their short employment stay behind the counter means that someone else needs to quickly step in.

In addition, if staff is unmotivated, safety problems soon follow.

Quick test for Campylobacter

N

eogen Corporation has developed a new AOACvalidated test to definitively detect Campylobacter which plagues the poultry industry.

ANSR for Campylobacter is the fifth test available for Neogen’s ANSR pathogen detection system and will provide results after only 18 minutes of reaction time following sample preparation. The new test joins Neogen’s line of ANSR products, which also includes AOAC Research Institute-validated ANSR tests for salmonella, listeria, Listeria monocytogenes and E. coli O157:H7.

“The AOAC validation verifies the effectiveness of ANSR for Campy-

lobacter’s approach of using an aerobic enrichment when testing for campylobacter. Traditional testing for the bacteria with microaerophilic enrichments can be very challenging, and lead to false negative results by killing any existing viable Campylobacter,” says Ed Bradley, Neogen’s VP of food safety.

“The ANSR system provides the food industry definitive test results, and much easier and quicker methodology. This introduction of ANSR for Campylobacter extends our ANSR product offering for the bacterial pathogens of greatest concern to the food industry, and will be very easy for laboratories to adopt,

18 | Meat Packing Journal | November~December 2016

as it follows the same procedure of all our other ANSR kits.”

The results of the AOAC validation study provided evidence that the overall performance of the ANSR for Campylobacter is equivalent to the USDA-FSIS/MLG reference method.

Internal and independent laboratory studies using chicken carcass rinse and turkey carcass sponge samples proved ANSR for Campylobacter to be an effective alternative for detection of Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter lari, and Campylobacter coli after 20 to 24 hours of enrichment in an aerobic or microaerobic atmosphere. www.meatpacking.info

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UK chickens test bad Great Britain: Cambridge University researchers have found antibiotic-resistant E. coli on 24 percent of chicken samples tested from the seven largest supermarkets in the UK. That contamination level is four times higher than results from a similar study done last year. The researchers tested 189 UK-sourced pork and poultry samples from the grocery chains ASDA, Aldi, Co-op, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, and Waitrose.

The type of E. coli highly resistant to cephalosporin antibiotics, known as ESBL E. coli, was found on poultry samples from all of those stores. However, no pork samples tested positive for ESBL E. coli. A total of 51 percent of the E. coli from chicken and pork samples were resistant to the antibiotic trimethoprim, which is used to treat lower urinary tract infections.

65-ton recall USA: Tyson Foods is recalling about 132,520 pounds of fully cooked chicken nugget products that may be contaminated with hard plastic, said the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The problem was discovered after the firm received consumer complaints regarding foreign material contamination of chicken nugget products. According to Tyson Foods, the plastic material ranged in size from 21mm in length and 6.5mm in diameter and may have come from a round, hard plastic rod used to connect a plastic transfer belt. The firm said the products pass through a metal detector, but the plastic is not detectable to this technology.

E. Coli in beef USa: Caviness Beef Packers of Texas is recalling 2,100 pounds of boneless beef trim products that may be contaminated with E. coli O103, announced FSIS. The problem was discovered when FSIS was notified of a USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) sample that tested positive for E. coli 0103.

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Pork rind allergen USa: Savory Foods of Ohio is recalling 32,928 pounds of pork rind products due to misbranding and an undeclared allergen, FSIS announced. The product contains wheat, a known allergen which is not declared on the product label. The problem was discovered by FSIS personnel during a routine label review. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. www.meatpacking.info

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November~December 2016 | Meat Packing Journal | 19

F o o d

F o rmin g

Processed meat reality

Since the WHO came out last year warning of the health hazards from processed meat, it has seemed like a case of ‘circle the wagons’ to fend off all the arrows being shot at the industry – or that’s at least what some will have you believe. MPJ sees something different

M

ost of you are familiar with the 1999 science fiction blockbuster The Matrix.

As you might recall, the movie begins with a computer programmer named Neo who has no reason to believe that the world he experiences is not real in every sense of the word. But, then he is confronted by a group of individuals who claim to know “the truth” and they tell him that the day-to-day existence Neo – and all other people on Earth – have been living is about as far from reality as possible. Offered a choice between a red or blue pill, Neo takes the red pill and what he thinks is reality disintegrates around him.

As you struggle to see what possible connection there could be between The Matrix and lunch meats/sausages, you might be wishing you had taken the blue pill and returned to your old life.

But please stay with this for when it comes to preserved meats, there seems to be two very different realities out there.

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Last year the WHO’s cancer agency (International Agency for Research on Cancer) classified processed meat, along with red meat, as carcinogenic – something that causes cancer, with processed meat including hot dogs, ham, bacon, sausage, and most deli meats. The actual methods the report classifies as ‘processed’ refers to meat that has been treated in some way to preserve or flavor it, include salting, curing, fermenting, and smoking.

Twenty-two experts from 10 countries reviewed more than 800 studies to reach their conclusions.

They found that eating 50 grams of processed meat every day increased the risk of colorectal cancer by 18%. That’s the equivalent of about four strips of bacon or one hot dog.

The world’s press jumped on this and immediately compared eating a slice of ham to playing Russian roulette with a fully loaded revolver.

But, because the average reporter is stymied by any math beyond simple addition, what they didn’t stress so much is that the overall lifetime risk of someone developing colon cancer is only around 5 percent.

What? According to the press one in five of us www.meatpacking.info

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Sausage production at a medium size plant. in Germany

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was looking at death from ham.

But that 18 percent increase, which made it on the front page of most newspapers and news magazines, didn’t mean you were suddenly looking at a near 20 percent chance of getting cancer, but was 18 percent of 5 percent.

To put the numbers into perspective, the increased risk from eating the amount of processed meat in the study would raise average lifetime risk to about six percent – but not quite – and in many parts of the world that number is much lower.

But truth be damned and the ramifications of this version of reality can be seen in Google today.

Any search of “processed meat” will come up with the following hits: ‘Is lunch meat healthy?’ ‘The truth about process meats.’ ‘What you need to know about deli meats.’ ‘Read this before you ever stand in line at the deli again.’ ‘Five of the worse processed meats,’ and ‘The dark side of processed meats.’

The list could easily go on to the hundreds with each hit linking you back to a website in which additional dire warnings are posted about processed meats and your immediate demise.

However, in the other reality, Americans are eating 300 million sandwiches a day – slightly less than the US population – with the most popular type being ham, followed by bacon/lettuce/tomato, according to the Arizona Farm Bureau. While given some people might eat more than one sandwich a day, most don’t, so that’s nearly 300 million Americans not worried about processed meats. The Germans are devouring over 1,500 different types of sausages, and in regards to bacon and ham, almost everyone in the world is eating a version of these two.

Did the WHO’s warning fall on deaf ears?

When MPJ was at Frankfurt’s IFFA and Atlanta’s IPPE trade shows this year, not a single equipment manufacturer or processed food maker voiced the opinion that the WHO’s statement affected business.

The UK’s Express newspaper recently listed the top 10 superfoods being heralded this year. Right up there with avocado oil, kelp, and maquiberries is black pudding, a UK sausage made with dried pork blood, pork fat, oatmeal, and plenty of salt.

“Compared to losing weight, cutting down on booze and generally not eating unhealthy crap, the impact of cured meats is likely to be fairly minimal,” says straight-shooting Australian radio presenter Dominic Knight. “As Cancer Research UK pointed out, everyone giving up smoking would have a far greater public health impact than everyone giving up cured meat and processed meats, simply because bowel cancer is far less prevalent than lung cancer.

“In other words, these meats increase the risk of something that isn't hugely risky to begin with, making up (in the UK, at least) 3 percent of all cancers, whereas smoking-related lung cancer is 19 22 | Meat Packing Journal | November~December 2016

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Sausage making has moved on from the days of using everything but the 'squeek' in production.

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For small producers the key to sucess is to make high quality sausage which can then command high prices.

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percent.

“The kind of people who pay attention to public health messages probably don't eat much processed meat already, with the possible exception of lean ham, or red meat for that matter. These people will probably cut down on what little they consume."

The rest of us will go on in blissful oblivion, says Knight.

the future

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hile it might seem that with most consumers ignoring the WHO’s warning that everything but the squeal can go into today’s lunch meats and sausages, nothing can be further from the truth.

Throughout the world the market is changing and no place this is more evident that the USA. According to The New York Times, more than 3.5 million Americans were able to raise their chins above the poverty line last year. More than seven years after the recession ended, employers are finally being compelled to reach deeper into the pools of untapped labor, creating more jobs, especially among retailers, restaurants and hotels, and paying higher wages to attract workers “It all came together at the same time,” says Diane Swonk, an independent business economist in Chicago. “Lots of employment and wages gains, particularly in the lowest-paying end of the jobs spectrum, combined with minimum-wage increases that started to hit some very large population areas.”

When people have more income, they are willing to pay for a higher quality, more nutritional product. Case in point, the rise in popularity of well made, high quality meat snack sausages and other products from companies such as Vermont Smoke & Cure which uses much less fat and salt than most others.

Add to the rise in income are the Millennials taking center stage, becoming the world’s generation with the most spending power – worth an estimated $1 trillion dollars. Millennials want unique eating experiences, quality, and are willing to pay for it.

Food trends for all generations often start in restaurants and then make their way to into supermarkets, as consumers enjoy meals away from home and then try to make them in their own homes.

At this year’s National Restaurant Association (NRA) Show in Chicago, team members from Midan Marketing, a meat-focused marketing firm, came away with the top six meat trends they gleaned from being on the NRA Show floor as well as in the educational sessions.

The top trends the firm came away with are: 1. Trust and transparency are tops. www.meatpacking.info

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Consumer trust is still elusive. There is a bias against size and scale in agriculture, a perception that “big ag” and family farms do not share the same values. Consumers think that large farms are more likely than small farms to put their own interests ahead of consumer interests —Charlie Arnot, CEO, The Center for Food Integrity, “A Clear View On Transparency: How It Builds Consumer Trust” 2. Local is trendy but fuzzy.

This wariness of big farming has helped fuel the “locally sourced” trend. Consumers want local because there is a lack of trust in our food system.

Consumers don’t trust big food or completely understand food labels, but they can comprehend and get behind “local” and they associate it with higher quality, even though there is no universal definition for local.

—Townsend Bailey, Director, Supply Chain Sustainability, McDonald’s USA LLC, “Where’s the Beef: Eco-Protein Trends Explained” 3. The story matters.

Consumers want to know and understand where their food comes from. The exhibiting meat companies at NRA did a great job telling their unique stories, from FPL’s Georgia farming traditions to Meats by Linz’s investment in their own herd of registered Angus cattle to Niman Ranch’s pasture-raised hogs.

Restaurant menus are the new storybooks. U.S. adults who will spend more at restaurants in 2016 than they did in 2015 will be reading menus and looking for: Natural items—54% Sustainable items—48% Organic items—47% Seasonal items—47% —Stacy Glasgow, consumer trends consultant, and Jenny Zegler, Global Food & Drink Analyst, Mintel, “Consumer Trends in Foodservice and Beyond” 4. Premium is in.

Quality. Quality. Quality. Every meat company did a brilliant job showcasing high quality products.

Gone are our post-recession days of cheap meat; quality is the new normal.

5. Fat is back.

Marbling reigned supreme in all of the meat companies’ exhibits. Fat is back, and it’s appreciated by discriminating restaurant operators who want flavorful options to wow their patrons.

From Superior Farms’ flavorful lamb bacon to Compart Foods’ dry-aged pork porterhouse, meat companies are focusing on fat.

6. Charcuterie is hot.

Olli Salumeria and Zoe’s Meats were two of many charcuterie companies showcasing their slowcured meats. Charcuterie remains one of the hottest meat menu trends. Salami, anyone?

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As if by magic HPP technology has completely transformed the raw juice industry allowing manufacturers to extend shelf-life from five days to over 45, to sell their juices on a much larger scale, and to create an industry that’s worth in the USA alone $3.4 billion. So why aren’t more in the meat industry jumping on the HPP bandwagon?

MPJ reports

Deli24

Hiperbaric HPP equipment at Deli24

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he salami logs arrive from Italy in skin tight plastic packs.

At nearly a yard long, the logs are destined for sandwich shop chains in the UK where they’ll be sliced and put into open containers – alongside sliced turkey, beef, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and other fillings – for staff to assemble for the noon day crowds.

There could be a problem, however. By the very nature how salami is cured – along with all fermented meats – there is always a possibility of harmful microorganisms such as bacteria, yeasts, and molds being in the salami, along with Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella.

While this is an issue in itself, how the sandwiches are quickly put together in an assembly line with workers dipping their gloved hands into each filling container – first salami, then cheese, then beef, and so on – means that any pathogens in the salami could easily spread to every other filling causing cross-contamination.

But this won’t be a problem with these salami logs, which are first taking a quick detour to Milton Keynes, England, where they will undergo high pressure processing (HPP) at Deli24, the UK’s leading and largest HPP center.

You look at the salami logs before they enter the HPP chamber at Deli24; you look at the logs after they leave. There is absolutely no detectable change in color or appearance. If you were allowed to break the packaging seal and sample the salami, you would find that the ‘before’ and ‘after’ logs taste and look exactly the same. The only difference is the ‘after’ are now pathogen safe.

Glancing over at Paul Winter, director of the privately owned company, you say: “Magic,” with almost a bit of disbelief in your voice. You’ve read the research, you’ve spoken to HPP manufacturers, talked to other users of the technology, and now you’ve actually seen it in action. But, it still seems impossible for something to work that efficiently without changing the quality of the product, or if nothing else, giving the product a tell-tale sign that it’s been further processed.

“Magic,” replies back Winter. “Well that’s a good way of describing it.”

When Winter, brother Jeff, and their team created Deli24 only six years ago, the Winter brothers and most staff at Deli24 already had extensive experience in the meat industry, with the Winters having run an abattoir, cut-meat facility, curing, and sausage plant before opening Deli24.

A product that Deli24 became noted for was its chilled meat & cheese deli snack, but there was a problem with it. While combining meat and cheese created a great taste sensation, it was a shelf-life nightmare due to the interaction between the cheese and meat.

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Because of the huge experience those at Deli24 have with different meat products and processing procedures, it gives them the background and imagination to look into better and more creative ways of overcoming obstacles. While nobody at this time in the UK was using HPP, considering the staff at Deli24, it wasn’t a reach for them to look into this process as a way of extending the shelf life of their meat & cheese item.

the basics

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PP – also known as ‘Pascalization’, or ‘high hydrostatic pressure (HHP)’ – has been around in theory since the late 1800s when a study showed that microorganisms can be “deactivated” by subjecting them to high pressure. However, it was not until the early 1990s that the first commercial usage of HPP emerged, with the technology still not perfected until 2000s. Even still, worldwide there are only around 300 HPP commercial machines in production with a third of these coming on the market in the last four years.

Part of the problem has been to construct HPP equipment which can be used in a commercial manner, i.e., quickly and efficiently, and which is also able to withstand the massive pressures involved in HPP. Not only does this mean HPP machines are costly, but they are also extremely heavy and require daily maintenance from trained engineers.

The high pressure process starts by placing packaged products in a cylinder which is then loaded into a high pressure chamber which looks similar to a torpedo tube. If the products are raw, they’ll stay raw; if cooked, they won’t be cooked any further. Because this is the final packaging stage, with products not treated and then repacked, once treated there can be no further contamination.

Packaging has to have a degree of flexibility; no glass jars or metal cans.

Once the loading is finished, the chamber is filled with clean water and then pressurized via pumps employing isostatic pressure that is transmitted through the package into the food itself for a set period of time, usually around 3-5 minutes, for a total time from load to unload of about 10 minutes.

How high is the pressure used? It’s around 6 metric tons/cm2, which is like being at the bottom of the deepest part of the ocean – the Mariana Trench – times six. A nuclear submarine’s crush depth is 2,400 feet; the pressure inside an HPP chamber is equivalent to 216,430 feet.

What is difficult to get your head around is how can a product, such as a salami log or even a small pot of yogurt in a flimsy container, not come out of the chamber looking like the world’s flattest www.meatpacking.info

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pancake?

Rob Habgood, commercial manager at Deli24, pretends to hold a grape between his fingers. “Put just a small amount of pressure on the grape and it’s crushed. But, it you take a grape and put it in a plastic water bottle, you can squeeze and put as much pressure as you can on the grape and because the pressure is uniformly transmitted by water around the grape, it remains a grape.”

This pressure, however, plays havoc with organisms and causes sub lethal damage through changes to their molecular structure. Pathogenic bacteria, including Salmonella, E. Coli, and Listeria monocytogenes are single-cell organisms which are destroyed by rupturing their cell walls and what is amazing, the pathogens are destroyed instantaneously and uniformly throughout the mass of food; the process treats the interior of the food just the same as the surface.

But, while it destroys pathogens like no tomorrow, HPP does not affect the molecular level of food. Since the stronger covalent bonds of nutrients, vitamins and minerals are not affected, there is little to no effect on nutritional value, vitamins or minerals, flavor, taste, or color.

Because the food is not heated there is no heat degradation that is associated with thermal pasteurization processes. If you want proof, go to your grocers and in the chilled compartment, grab a plastic bottle of orange juice which has HPP on the label (while there is no legal requirement to list HPP, many do so as a selling point) and then compare the flavor and taste against orange juice which has been pasteurized such as with long life juice.

“Depending on the product and the quality of www.meatpacking.info

it, you can be looking at a shelf life of up to 40-60 even 80 days,” says Habgood. “What HPP cannot do is make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. We cannot make an unfit product fit; if you start with very high levels of bacteria, you will still have some bacteria left.”

deli24 in operation

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here are some things you notice right away when you step into Deli24’s massive 58,000 square ft building; the first is how well designed and constructed the plant is, the second is there is no meat and cheese production. Deli24 decided to no longer make its own food items, concentrating instead on HPP. But that’s regardless; the plant is why you’re there.

If you’re like most, when you go into any plant you start going through a mental checklist. Are the non-skid floors actually non-skid? How are the walls and ceilings brought together, is there molding to allow for proper cleaning and to prevent any dirt or microorganisms from existing in the joint? Are cables and wires all run in conduits or do things look haphazard, as if designed after the thought? Is there separation between the input side, the production side, and the outgoing?

Is there consistent cool temperature maintained throughout?

As MPJ has found throughout the years, if a company has thought out and taken care of the little things, you can be ensured that you’ll find no problem with the big. It’s no surprise that Deli24 is both BRC Food and Soil Association accredited.

Habgood first shows Deli24’s ‘small’135-liter November~December 2016 | Meat Packing Journal | 29

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machine. “There are more than one manufacturer of HPP equipment. We visited plants in Europe, talked to people, and in the end decided to go with Hiperbaric,” he says.

Deli24 was definitely onto something. Just a few short years later towards the end of 2014 they doubled the size of the existing plant and added a 420 liter Hiperbaric machine, which at the time was the largest HPP available. With it weighing a massive 120 metric tons, flooring in the plant had to be reinforced to handle the weight.

They primarily use the larger machine, which handles 150+ products, and use the smaller one as a backup.

Winter believes that in HPP usage, Europe is far behind the USA. Just a quick look at US companies seems to confirm this with major players such as Butterball, Tyson, Maple Leaf, and Foster Farms all using HPP for some of their lunch meat production.

“In North America you’ll have one or two major plants producing lunch meats, with logistics then eating up some of the shelf life as it’s shipped from one side of the US to the other. In Europe and the UK, plants are only a day away so that advantage of HPP is not always such a big factor,” says Winter.

But, he and Habgood see many opportunities for European meat producers and indeed, see missed opportunities on both sides of the Atlantic.

“Right now restaurants are advised not to serve rare or medium-rare burgers in the UK due to the increased risk from pathogens. It’s just not cooked meats that are suited for HPP, but raw meats as well,” says Winter.

Raw mince (ground beef) does change slightly in appearance, with a small difference in color as it affects proteins slightly. However, this disappears during cooking and a medium-rare burger will look and taste exactly how it should.

Raw chicken gives the appearance of having been blanched in warm water. The big advantage though in using HPP with chicken is, with all danger of Salmonella and Campylobacter removed, chicken does not need to be cooked as long.

“Instead of having to cook chicken until its dried out, HPP chicken is still full of juice and flavor.”

Shredded BBQ pork and beef are getting to be popular in the UK. By running the packages through HPP as a final step, not only have you increased dramatically the shelf life of the items, you’ve removed all pathogens.

“When clients approach us we don’t say ‘yes’ to everything,” says Winter. “We visit them, we get an understanding of their product and what they’re trying to achieve with HPP and then we advise them. Sometimes HPP might not be their best option but due to the experience we have in the meat industry, we can give them an honest answer.”

Confidentiality agreements with clients does not allow Deli24 to discuss specific companies and their products. Not all products can go directly into HPP, 30 | Meat Packing Journal | November~December 2016

An operator at Deli24 loading an HPP machine

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with sometimes formulas or packaging needing to be tweaked. Winter will say that at times it takes “months” of work to confirm and validate a new product.

What frustrates Habgood is while recent shows on the BBC point out the health dangers of eating processed foods with high levels of sodium or nitrates, little research seems to be centered on using HPP to reduce meat preservatives.

Indeed, while MPJ could find research papers proving the effectiveness of HPP for food safety, the reduction of nitrates and sodium was only briefly touched on in one, which basically said more research needed to take place.

If this does come about, it could make a huge difference in the way processed meats are viewed by the public and health organizations.

“Companies don’t seem to realize the export potential that HPP offers,” says Habgood. “UK butchers and companies could ship Christmas hams and other UK meat products to the States with HPP giving them the long shelf life and pathogen-free quality that they’ll need.”

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Deli24

Deli24, located in Milton Keynes, is easily accessible for both UK and European companies. Shipping of products to North America is also easy to arrange.

“And this could be a two-way street,” adds Winter. “Products such as US hotdogs could be shipped over here.”

With anything there are always improvements which can be made and HPP is no exception.

Having to unpack a client’s product, load it into a container, treat it, unload the container, and then repack it has to be process that is screaming for either automation or robotics. Even if the HPP processor was producing their own products, this is still a process that has to be gone through.

While Deli24 seems to have this process down to fast-moving art form, MPJ has to wonder if just supplying clients with their own containers would speed up the process.

That said, HPP is an absolute amazing technology which will only be used more and more by the food industry as more advantages are discovered. It’s hope that universities will do research into the reduction of nitrates and sodium with HPP, and especially in Europe, the meat industry takes the time to understand the benefits which can come from using HPP. www.meatpacking.info

VEMAGNIFICENT S AU S A G E! When it comes to sausage production, Vemag sets the industry standard for product quality, portioning accuracy, and consistent performance and reliability.

The industry’s leading sausage processors all have one thing in common: they rely on Vemag for their sausage production needs. They know that Vemag’s double-screw portioning technology will provide exact-weight, smear-free filling. Vemag has virtually eliminated their giveaway while producing a superior looking product. From fresh sausage to cooked, from cocktail weiners to deli logs, from natural casings to alginate, from small production requirements to large, there is a versatile Vemag that will fit your application perfectly. Test your product on any of our Vemags – contact Reiser today to arrange a demonstration. www.reiser.com Reiser • Canton, MA • (781) 821-1290 Reiser Canada • Burlington, ON • (905) 631-6611 Reiser UK • Kingston, Milton Keynes • (01908) 585300 2016

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Q& JIM Kerr A

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or more than 50-years, Reiser has been synamous with sausage production. MPJ talks sausage with Reiser’s Jim Kerr, a noted sausage and meat processing expert.

How has the demise of the local butcher affected the industry?

In the past, the fresh meat shop had offered their unique twist to traditional sausage and smoked meats. Today we’ve become more dependent on the larger processors to carry on the regional style products as the small butcher shops close their doors.

In almost every industry there is talk of how the Millennials are changing the market. Do you see this in sausage production?

Yes thanks to the Millennials the sausage industry has seen a surge in the specialty sausage items, dried cured meats, and fermented sausage.

Charcuterie platters are being offered at microbreweries and other restaurants that caters to Millennials.

From your perspective, what do successful sausage companies have in common?

The successful and growing medium size and family owned processors have recognized that they cannot compete on volume and have focused on old fashioned style products. Most of these companies have built a regional trusted name that has a following. Natural casing products are a large part of their product lines.

What are people looking for today in sausage making equipment?

Our customers are looking for automated equipment that takes less skilled operators to use (virtually impossible to find trained sausage markers and meat cutters) the majority of the workforce is coming from temp employment agencies. Casing 34 | Meat Packing Journal | November~December 2016

yield, give-away, and labor savings are always a point of discussion in the beginning but support before, during, and after the sale is the most important.

Are people interested in buying complete systems from grinder to packaging, or do they buy equipment for a specific purpose and combine it with existing gear?

I would say they do both. The meat industry has eliminated industrial engineers and look to us for support. We are being asked to layout complete processing lines that include formulation through packaging. It’s easier for a customer to work with one company that can supply a total solution.

Customers ask us to perform equipment and line audits for them. The outcome of an audit might be to recommend changing out a piece of equipment or adding a piece to remove a point of congestion in the process.

Do most customers buy sausage making equipment for where they are today or do they take a long range approach?

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Above: Operators using Reiser equipment. Sausage production continues to grow throughout Europe and the Americas.

Customers today are looking for a long range approach to business and with that they are willing make an investment that will give them growth in the future.

Is it more common for people to buy too small than too large when it comes to production equipment?

I have found that most companies need our help sizing the right equipment to match their production needs. When we come in after the purchases the equipment is more often undersized for what they plan to produce and they are disappointed.

What is the biggest mistake do you see sausage companies making?

The biggest mistake I see is that they are satisfied with the status quo! Today our sausage lines are more versatile, easier to operate, have better weight, and yield control. We now have better and safer material handling that includes production documentation, labor saving and product quality.

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The companies satisfied with the status quo are not benefiting from newer equipment.

Do skinless and alginate sausage rule the market or do people still prefer a sausage with a natural casing bite?

In the US market natural casing is still perceived as a better bite! We have to include collagen casing in the small diameter as the fourth option. In the UK alginate sausage is becoming widely accepted in both the small diameter and large diameter fresh sausage. The US market has been slow to come to the market with small diameter because of the alginate having open ends, now that we have the ability to close the ends we are seeing more interest in these products. We have developed a system that will allow auto loading thermal processing systems more efficiently and that makes alginate more competitive even with our continuous skinless systems.

What is the most unusual sausage a customer approached you about making?

A customer approached me about a seafood

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Links being formed.

sausage. The customer wanted to make an upscale sausage using shellfish and fish. The proteins are different, procedures for mixing are different and I was not familiar with a seafood flavor profile of a seafood sausage. The finished product was in a sheep casing.

With the snack meat market, some such as Duke’s Jerky started in a backyard and now sell nationwide. Does sausage manufacturing offer the same opportunities or have the big companies tied up the market?

The snack stick market is open for new products and names. There will always be a market for the impulse purchase at the convenience store for snack sticks. Duke’s is a great example of the consumer wanting and willing to pay for quality.

We see growth in this market with the advances that alginate give the industry in small diameter products. Regional companies hold the share of the sausage stick market.

On the US west coast Aidells changed the way many people viewed sausage in the late 1980s with its gourmet series of chicken sausage; Bilinski doing the same on the East coast.

However, chicken sausage stills seems slightly on the fringe, with Boar’s Head only recently coming out with what it’s calling is a gourmet chicken sausage. Is it difficult producing chicken sausage 36 | Meat Packing Journal | November~December 2016

with spinach, feta cheese, etc, or is the demand not there?

No it’s not difficult to produce chicken sausage with particulates – that said feta has its challenges.

The consumer still sees the chicken sausage as a healthier choice. In this category the focus tends to be using the sausage as an ingredient in an entrée and not a stand-alone sausage. In 2017 we should see some great poultry sausages introduced to the market that will compete with the pork and beef sausages for the grill.

Looking into the Reiser crystal ball, what changes do you see in the industry coming in the next 10 years?

I see more automation in the next ten years. In my experience, the concern isn’t about labor cost in the future it’s about finding labor (drug free) to run the operation. Processing plants in the States that have legalized marijuana are having problems finding labor that can pass drug testing. Another change in the processing plant will be that they have RFD scanners at every work station. One operator will weigh, grind and batch everything. The ground meat or emulsion will be conveyed to the next step of the operation, either portioned or stuffed with little or no human involvement. If we look at where Europe is today, we see they are already on this path and we can learn from them. www.meatpacking.info

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Ham and salami by the ton Polandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s meat and poultry industry is rapidly becoming a leader in Europe. An example of this modernization is a new Polish plant with 24 packing lines that is part of a trio of plants which can slaughter and process 1,000 pigs an hour. Uli Merkle of Busch reports

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ini Polonia operates three production facilities in Kutno, Poland, which slaughter and process 1,000 pigs are per hour. The newest facility was commissioned last year and manufactures cooked ham, salami, and other sliced meat products.

The new site is equipped with the latest technology, uses the best raw materials, and applies stringent hygiene standards to produce high-quality meat specialties.

These production facilities are part of the Pini Group, which operates plants in Italy and Hungary.

The new site is located close to the existing abattoir and processing centers in Kutno and started production in April 2015.

Using a two-shift system, maximum production output is 130 tons of cooked ham and 60 tons of salami. During the start-up phase the facility employed 150 staff, a figure which is expected to soon rise to 850.

The Pini Polonia management were certain from the outset of project planning that a centralized vacuum system for the 24 packaging lines would be the best solution. In comparison to directly mounted vacuum pumps, centralized systems offer higher levels of energy efficiency, hygiene and performance, claims Busch.

Pini Polonia chose a Busch system due to positive experience of Busch products at the other sites. Busch vacuum specialists were involved from the start, helping with specifications for the pipework, the location of the centralized system, and the development of the controller unit. When the new Pini Polonia plant started production, it was equipped with one of the most modern and efficient centralized vacuum systems in Europe.

As the individual packaging machines are not in close proximity to each other, it was decided

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to implement a so-called partial decentralization: Panda vacuum boosters are mounted directly to the packaging machines, and all the R5 rotary vane vacuum pumps are located in a separate room. This arrangement allows the rotary vane vacuum pumps to work at maximum efficiency, resulting in short evacuation times at every packaging machine.

The R5 rotary vane vacuum pumps maintain a permanent pre-vacuum of 50mbar throughout the pipework system. The Panda vacuum boosters operate on demand, and activate only when a vacuum of 5mbar is required in the chamber or the packaging. They evacuate rapidly from the pre-vacuum of 50mbar to the final pressure within the packaging of less than 5mbar. This twostage evacuation arrangement and the controller system allow packaging cycle times to be reduced substantially.

A second vacuum network for foil thermoforming is operated independently of the packaging vacuum. The thermoforming vacuum ring is maintained at 130 to 200mbar, a considerably higher pressure than the level required for packaging. All the vacuum pumps required for the thermoforming of foil to trays are integrated into the centralized vacuum system, and are thus located away from the packaging areas.

According to Busch, due to their working principle, centralized vacuum systems require fewer vacuum pumps than decentralized systems.

The two-stage evacuation process permits the use of rotary vane vacuum pumps with a smaller volumetric displacement, so the motor size can be reduced. The system controller maintains a vacuum of 50mbar in the pipework system, which acts as a vacuum reservoir for all the packaging lines.

Only the number of vacuum pumps required to maintain 50mbar are active at any one time. As the packaging lines do not always run with short cycle times and high throughput, normally only a few of www.meatpacking.info

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Above: A row of Busch vacuum pumps at Poland's Pini Polonia plant.

Below: The plant produces 130MT ham; 60MT salami.

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the vacuum pumps are in operation.

A further energy saving is achieved by vacuum supply centralization: the vacuum pumps operate in a separate room, so no heat is given off to the packaging area. The air conditioning unit of the packaging area has less work to do and thus requires less energy.

As the vacuum supply is centralized, no servicing of the rotary vane vacuum pumps is carried out in the clean areas of the packaging and processing lines. Any possibility of food contamination by oil aerosol (by equipment misuse) is excluded.

Centralized vacuum systems have a modular construction. This means that individual modules may be disconnected for maintenance purposes, in which case a standby unit will activate automatically. Servicing tasks can thus be carried out without affecting the packaging line output.

As the vacuum pumps in a centralized system are subjected to lighter loads, the servicing intervals are longer than those of decentralized systems.

The external location of the centralized vacuum supply is an additional advantage, as maintenance work does not cause production downtime or contamination of clean areas.

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food forming

Value-added ham without adding cost Most meat processors agree that a large muscle product adds value when contrasted with a product shaped from ground pieces of ham muscle, reports Challenge RMF’s Robert Fillmore, managing director Asia/Pacific. So why are so many ham products made by binding together 25mm to 50mm pieces and even smaller?

The processor’s challenge is to produce a sliced ham muscle product that is affordable in a specific market. It doesn’t matter how good the product if the market cannot afford to buy it.

Challenge RMF is focused on the quality vs. cost conflict; reducing product formulation cost while enhancing product quality. The company’s unique product handling addresses the problem of activating water-binding proteins at the core of a large muscle; adding, and evenly distributing brine or marinade into whole muscle or sectioned and formed ham products.

Consider the characteristics of connective tissue surrounding water-binding meat protein: • Connective tissue is permeable – brine and marinade can pass through it • Connective tissue is not soluble – therefore, forming a barrier, prohibiting meat cell expansion as added yield is introduced within the connective tissue.

Breaking connective tissue deep into the core of the muscle is then required, allowing the muscle to grow as added ingredients are

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bound by the natural meat protein.

The goal is to enable natural meat protein to swell as added yield is bound into expanding meat cells, thus the connective tissue must be disrupted, no longer restricting the binding of added yield in whole muscle.

Traditional tumblers impose a ‘lift-and-drop’ surface-impact. This primarily affects the outer portion of the muscle, while insulating the core from the benefit of the process.

Challenge RMF gentle – yet aggressive massage – disrupts connective tissue by imposing a kneading technique deep into the muscle, targeting the core as well as the exterior.

Over the years, meat science and manufacturing have cooperated in a joint attempt to accomplish the breaking up of connective tissue. Many will recall the introduction of the meat press and pressure/counter-pressure tumbling, both attempting to condition the large muscle, allowing the binding of added yield in natural meat protein with a minimum of added formulation cost. These attempts were met with limited success at best.

Deep ‘meat-on-meat’ massage, in conjunction with maceration where possible, open new possibilities for high quality, low cost meat muscle products. Consumers and processors enjoy the benefits. As a bonus, production efficiency is increased as this effective large muscle handling is applied continuously, with no need for rest periods, as often required by traditional tumblers..

During this year's IFFA trade show in Frankfurt there was considerable interest in Challenge RMF ham processing equipment and techniques.

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Casing detection for optimal food safety ViskoTeepak and TOMRA Sorting Food joined forces in order to develop a casing solution that would make it easier for sausage producers to detect pieces of casing in peeling operations, while still being able to track the color formation of the sausage during processing. The result of this synergy is a completely new patent pending innovation in the world of casing and casing detection.

In the production of skinless sausages, it is essential to guarantee that all fragments of the casing are removed from the surface of the sausages after peeling. ViskoTeepak has therefore developed a special casing type ‘Wienie-Pak D-Tech’ that allows producers to verify that the casings are completely removed.

This type of casing contains a special component in the full body of the casing. This component leaves the casing fully transparent in normal conditions, but becomes detectable in combination with

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TOMRA’s Genius optical sorting machine.

During the processing of the sausages, the color formation of the sausages can be followed as in regular clear casing and at the same time becomes detectable while implementing TOMRA’s special optical module.

The innovation can be used to produce skinless type sausages of all types, including frankfurters, hotdogs, mini-salamis, and much more.

“The biggest advantage is the fact that this casing allows for full automation of the detection and eventually the separation process with the correct sorting equipment,” explains Marc Vrijsen, Business Line Director at ViskoTeepak.

“Combining TOMRA’s Genius sorter with ViskoTeepaks’ D-Tech development, doesn’t only allow for casing detection but it is also possible to sort on size and other quality deviations such as color” says Bjorn Thumas, director business development at TOMRA Sorting Food.

“TOMRA’s Genius sorter can process up to 5 tons per hour and is equipped with high-end technology enabling to detect good sausages and hotdogs from bad ones, including defects such as too light, too long, too short, attached and loose casing.”

Bjorn continues: “The requirements in food safety will continue to increase. TOMRA can now, together with ViskoTeepak, provide the most complete range of cellulose casing detection to help reduce the exposure of manufacturers. We take these concerns seriously and, by doing so, provide support for a long term sustainable business.”

Marc explains that another benefit is the labor cost saving, since less workers are needed in the peeling/packaging section.

The innovation was thoroughly tested at a major German producer of salami snacks and the results were convincing. Shortly after, the customer decided to switch to D-Tech casing and TOMRA sorting technology.

Starter cultures reduce Listeria Frutarom Savory Solutions’ CombiSafe starter cultures enable manufacturers to significantly reduce the number of Listeria monocytogenes in raw fermented sausages, says the company.

By incorporating a lactic acid bacterium, which produces a bacteriocin, the CombiSafe range combines the properties of regular ripening cultures with protection functionality against listeria. In combination with the suitable ripening agents and seasonings, the cultures are a true All-in-One-solution. They are available in four variants to meet different requirements in terms of product ripening conditions, flavor profiles, and color development.

The efficacy of the bacteriocin producing lactic acid bacteria has been examined by means of challenge tests. Raw fermented sausage spread and salami were inoculated with Listeria monocytogenes to research the ability of the CombiSafe products to reduce the bacterial count. For all tested applications, significant decreases were achieved.

“Our CombiSafe range is a very promising addition to our portfolio.

Product safety is a significant concern for the food industry.

With CombiSafe we offer a natural solution to improve product

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safety,” says Josefine Petzka, employee R&D Cultures at Frutarom Savory Solutions. “Our range enables manufacturers to create raw fermented sausage specialties that combine an outstanding sensory profile with product safety.”

The company offers its meat starter cultures with adjusted ripening agents and seasonings. This all-round-package, combined with the support of Frutarom’s experts, allows manufacturers to deliver high quality products with superior sensory properties.

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Quality casing printing leads to sales

Eliminate use of all nitrates A recent programme aired by the BBC named ‘The Truth about Meat’ raised awareness of the harmful effects of processed meat and sodium nitrite.

Sodium nitrite is used in processed meats such as ham, bacon and sausages, to keep bacteria at bay and reduce risk of serious illness. It also gives cured meats their colour and taste; however, it is at the centre of concern surrounding processed meats and cancer. The shelf life of meat is extended, but when nitrate reacts with stomach acid, it can form a compound that is cancer causing.

Research was carried out by BBC presenter Chris Bavin in order to find out if any types of meats are safe to eat; he focussed largely on processed meat and sodium nitrate.

It was found by a scientist that there was a potential solution to the problem with nitrates in processed meat involving Green Tea extracts. The documentary displayed this as a solution for processed meats which reduces the cancer causing chemical, resulting from nitrate, by 50%.

However, this solution is still in development and further research has shown a nitrite replacement solution which is ready and available for use by meat processor through Scobie & Junor. This product has been tested, approved and backed by numerous scientists in order to eliminate any fears people may have over processed meats and nitrates.

Natpre T-10 Plus provides massive benefits to the meat industry and a complete solution for the natural preservation of high-quality cooked foods. More in the January issue of MPJ.

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Packaging applications for artificial casings continues to grow throughout the world, with emerging markets for artificial casings having a major influence on sales, reports Nick Coombes from KPG in the UK. As global population continues to grow and greater affluence brings more brand awareness, the demand for this specialist printed packaging and products with longer shelf life increases. A constant supply of good quality casings from local and reliable extrusion plants is another ‘must’. Europe is well supplied, with leading European extruders also having production facilities in Asia and North & South America. Additionally, there is growing trend for many KPG customers located around the world to be both extruders and casing printers.

These applications continue to grow for KPG, being one of the world’s leading manufacturers of narrow web presses that are specifically designed for printing artificial casings, polybags, and films. Over the years, the company has developed a unique working partnership with Martin Automatic for splicing and rewind technology.

All Euroflex casing presses are based on a central impression drum design. Utilizing single or twin drums and flexo printing, the presses can be specified for use with different types of ink; UV cationic and solvent based inks for printing on single and multi-layered polyamides, or water and alcohol based inks for use on collagen and fibrous casings.

“Top print quality and reliability are key to the Euroflex philosophy, with many presses operating 24/7 with Martin Automatic roll changing systems performing at the same high production levels,” says Jo Andersen, marketing director at KPG Europe.

Euroflex dual-pass presses provide exceptional value, with up to eight print units on a single temperature controlled CID. Printing on both sides of the web, press capability can also include varnishing and inline coating, and units for flood coating white.

The semi-automatic versions are fitted with two accumulators, two unwinds and two rewinds. At roll change, the press slows to 25m/min to allow the operator 45 seconds to effect the change before ramping back up to full production speed.

Casings are printed flat, although the web is actually an extruded tube without a join, and are therefore high value substrates where any waste is a costly factor. Avoiding pinholes is critical, so constant web tension is vital and a secure airtight splice essential, and this is where the Martin roll changers have to meet exacting requirements.

On the splice, tape has to be applied to the top and under side of the web to ensure 100% air tightness. After printing, the web is shirred and then product filled under pressure and in case of meat products, finally subjected to autoclaving – even the smallest perforation will fail.

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Increase link production without adding labor When it comes to sausage production, Vemag provides the highest levels of product quality, portioning accuracy, consistent performance and reliability, says manufacturer Reiser.

The Vemag LPG208 High-Speed Length Portioning Machine is the fastest natural casing linker in the industry, with the LPG208 allowing processors to increase sausage production by 30–50 percent without adding labor.

The LPG208 features two rotating linking horns to significantly reduce casing change times and dramatically increase production.

The automatic two-horn system eliminates the downtime found in the start-and-stop casing loading process of single-horn machines. As the casing on the first horn is stuffed and linked, the operator simultaneously loads a second casing onto the second horn.

Reiser says that the LPG208 produces sausages that are identical in length and weight. It is ideal for producing fresh or cooked sausage in natural casings. Collagen and cellulose casings can also be used on the system. The LPG208 can be easily attached to the Vemag TM203 Link Cutter or Vemag AH212 Automatic Hanging Machine for the highest levels of production.

The LPG208 eliminates the risk of split casings found with the

constant starting and braking of linking horns. The LPG208 handles casings gently during filling as the stuffer pumps continuously in a straight filling mode. Special dividers in the dividing belts reach gently into the casing and separate individual sausages. Even the most fragile sheep casings can be linked without any problems.

The long guidance of the sausages through the divider belt ensure extremely high accuracy for the weight and length of the sausage.

Casing leader sees snack meats as future Viscofan Group, based in Spain, is the world leader in artificial casings for meat products which it distributes in over 100 countries worldwide. According to Viscofan, it is the only manufacturer in the world using technology for all categories of casing products: cellulose, collagen, fibrous, and plastic.

Tomás Lopéz, collagen casings corporate product manager for Viscofan, says the company is seeing a market increase in the production and sale of beef stick products in general, just not in snack sticks. However, he is not sure whether this is also the trend in pepperoni and salami sticks.

“Customers who make snack sticks are looking for three things in a casing: appearance, productivity, and sensorial properties,” says Lopéz. “By appearance I mean proper wrinkling and the right color.

Productivity refers to production efficiency, which is one of the trademarks of Viscofan casings – size uniformity and quickness/ evenness in cooking and drying. Sensorial is about achieving bite tenderness and a neutral odor in the final products.”

From Viscofan’s perspective of being a world leader, it finds that at the top of the rankings of snack meats is the USA and Canada, followed by some western European countries like Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The greatest potential for total casing sales will remain the USA for the forseable future and China for

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emerging markets.

“For snack meats collagen casings are more popular than natural.

Snack meats demand sizing and automatic production capabilities which cannot be matched by natural gut,” he says.

“Should a company which makes conventional salamis, frankfurters, etc, also go after the snack market? It all depends on your target market,” says Lopéz. “What we see as a trend is a higher level of business concentrating. This means less companies doing more products and accessing almost all areas of interest.

“But snack meats are becoming an important part of businesses due to their intrinsic added-value. In my opinion, any company would be better off by trying to access part of that market.”

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IPPE keeps growing and growing and…

More floor space, more exhibitors, get your most comfortable shoes ready – you'll be needing at the 2017 IPPE show in Atlanta. The world's largest annual meat and poultry trade show, if you're serious about succeeding, it's the one you need to be at.

W

ith still some time the go, the 2017 International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) has already surpassed 500,000 net square feet of exhibit space and has secured more than 1,035 exhibitors. This should put it on track for exceeding last year’s record-breaking show.

Made up of the three integrated tradeshows – International Poultry Expo, International Feed Expo and International Meat Expo – the IPPE is the world’s largest annual feed, meat, and poultry trade 44 | Meat Packing Journal | November~December 2016

show. The event is sponsored by the US Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY), the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) and the North American Meat Institute (NAMI).

“We anticipate exceeding 30,000 attendees and the 2017 IPPE will provide a great location for them to learn about new products and services, network and discuss common topics facing the animal protein and feed industries,” state the show sponsors.

The Expo will highlight the latest technology, equipment and services used in the production and processing of feed, meat and poultry products.

Combining the expertise from AFIA, NAMI and www.meatpacking.info

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VENUE Georgia World Congress Center 285 Andrew Young International Blvd NW Atlanta, Georgia 30313-1591

SHOW TIMES Tuesday, January 31: 10 am – 5 pm Wednesday, February 1: 9 am – 5 pm Thursday, February 2: 9 am – 3 pm For more information about the 2017 IPPE, visit www.ippexpo.org

USPOULTRY, IPPE will also feature dynamic education programs focused on current industry issues.

However, there could be on dark cloud on the horizon. The US dollar continues to grow in strength against most of the world currencies, with the British pound and Mexican peso dropping to new lows. This might put off international visitors from attending who will perceive US products as being too expensive. It will be interesting to see if foreign exhibitors do more business with US clients who will be finding out just how far their dollars go.

For those who are on automatic pilot at the trade show, be forewarned, the layout is different www.meatpacking.info

than it has been for previous shows.

IPPE has been selected to participate in the 2017 Department of Commerce’s International Buyer Program; the Expo has taken part in the International Buyer Program since 2007. This program brings trade delegations together from around the world and helps pair international attendees with American suppliers.

“We are pleased to be chosen as part of the International Buyer Program for the 10th year in a row. Program participation is confirmation of the global scale of our Expo. Since 2006, our attendance from outside the US has grown by almost 240 percent,” says IPPE show organizers.

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Attendee activities Chicken and turkey cutting and cooking Event zone Booth c1309 Tuesday: 11am - 12:30pm IPPE will offer cutting and cooking demonstrations featuring nationally and locally recognized chefs preparing chicken and turkey products. The demonstrations will be held in Booth C1309, and attendees are encouraged to stop by to experience the activities. techtalks Event zone Booth c1305 Tuesday: 11am - 4:30pm Wednesday: 10am - 4:30pm IPPE is offering short educational presentations by exhibitors regarding operations and technical issues critical to all aspects of the feed, meat and poultry industries.

5th annual chili cook-off Event zone Booth c1309 Tuesday: 2:30 pm - 4 pm You be the judge. We have gathered a highly competitive group of Atlanta chefs who will be preparing their favorite chili recipes featuring beef, pork and poultry. Try as many recipes as possible and cast your vote. Ballots will be available at the chili stations, and the winner will be announced at 4 pm.

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Welcome reception Georgia aquarium Tuesday: 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm Join attendees and exhibitors at the annual Welcoming Reception, held at the world's largest aquarium. There is no charge. However, due to space limitations, you must pick up a sticker at the Reception Kiosk in the B-Building and C-Building lobby to attend.

Meat industry hall of fame dinner Georgia aquarium Tuesday: 6:30 pm Join meat industry professionals at the 2016 Meat Industry Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Dinner, hosted by Where Food Comes From.

Single tickets can be purchased with your IPPE registration. For table sales, contact Chuck Jolley by e-mail or by calling 913.205.3791.

Beef and pork cutting and cooking demo Event zone Booth c1309 Wednesday: 11 am - 12:30 pm IPPE will offer cutting and cooking demonstrations featuring nationally and locally recognized chefs preparing beef and pork products. The demonstrations will be held in Booth C1309, and attendees are encouraged to stop by to experience the activities.

Hot wing eating competition Event zone Booth c1309 Wednesday: 2:30 pm - 4 pm IPPE is inviting attendees to see if they can stand the heat. IPPE will be featuring its third Hot Wing Eating Contest where the winners of each "Heat" go on to compete eating sequentially hotter wings. www.meatpacking.info

fresh thinking

Rigid Tray Vacuum Skin Packaging RfreshÂŽ Evolve The broadest rigid vacuum skin pack tray range on the market Fully recyclable Available in a range of materials Complete machine flexibility with no lock-in to materials supply Runs on conventional tray sealing machinery with quick and easy changeover Custom and standard print designs available

LINPAC | Wakefield Road | Featherstone | West Yorkshire | WF7 5DE t: +44 1977 692400 | e: info@linpac.com

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MPJ's FeatureD exhibitors At every trade show it’s a hard call who to visit. In looking over the list of exhibitors, MPJ believes the following are well worth a look.

Dupps B5545 www.dupps.com For 80-years the Dupps Company has been the worldwide leader in providing high-quality rendering equipment and service to the animal byproducts and protein recycling industry. We provide the tools to build a sustainable world. Below are just a few of the exciting new products, services & features we’ve introduced recently: • Next generation Hydrolyzed Feather Pressor – new compact design is ideal for smaller plants • Compact 36S PreCrushor – specifically designed for smaller operations • AMP – Rest easy knowing that Dupps new Asset Management Program takes care of the details for you • Gratt Centrifuges – Dupps expands its product portfolio with high quality decanter and vertical centrifuges. And we back them up with the same legendary service • Pressor Maintenance Tool Kit – ergonomically designed tools make your life easier & reduce the time it takes to do routine maintenance • Pressor Reversing feature – if you’re haunted by frequent power interruptions the new reversing feature gets you back up and running faster

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ISI C471 www.isi.us.com As the demand for natural, organic, clean label and reduced sodium products continues to grow, ISI is committed to providing products that will satisfy these demands.

In 1992 Dr. Harris J. Bixler, ScD., started the company that is now known as Ingredients Solutions, Inc. It was founded with a simple philosophy and business strategy: offer the customer more costeffective carrageenans, consistent quality assurance, and top notch technical support.

Today ISI is the world’s largest independent supplier of carrageenan, offering a full line of carrageenans from multiple manufactures for reliable supplies, the most complete product line, and the best values in the industry. ISI's natural and organicallowed carrageenans can replace phosphates and allow for reduced salt levels as well as improve yield and reduce cook loss.

Products are Kosher and Halal certified.

Over the years ISI’s product line has expanded to include Sodium Alginate, Pectin, Locust Bean Gum, Tar, Agar-Agar, Gellan and Xanthan Gum. With expansion of the product line has come expansion of ISI’s lab and technical team to ensure the best quality control and research and development possible. From the formulation stage to the production stage ISI is with you step by step.

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Jarvis C1019 & C1230 www.jarvisproducts.com Jarvis will be again showing the latest automation and robotic technologies that greatly assist in lowering production costs, increase productivity, and support specific kill and cutting floor applications.

Also being shown are five, low cost tools that are ideal for small to mid-sized production facilities: • Model PAS (Power Actuated Stunner) Types C and P stunners, in both .22 and .25 calibers • Model SER-04 electrically powered reciprocating Breaking Saw, perfect for breaking and general purpose usage • Model SEC 180-4 electrically powered circular breaking saw which has many applications • Model JHS-1 Hand Skinner providing low cost skinning of boars and sows • Model PC-1 Pizzle Crusher for sheep.

Jarvis’ Poultry Division will display top-of-the-line poultry processing equipment, specializing in pneumatic tools for eviscerating and performing several off-line processing procedures.

The company’s product line is sold and serviced worldwide through 18 branch locations, and Jarvis' J26 Federation of Distributors.

Jarvis has service technicians available providing free customer service, including equipment installation, service calls, and employee training.

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Stellar B4626 www.stellar.net Ranked one of the top food processing design-build firms in the world, Stellar is a fully integrated design, engineering, construction and mechanical services company that provides the industry’s most comprehensive range of self-performed services. Its experts are cross-trained in all market segments, with experience in the beef/pork, poultry, bakery, dairy, beverage, bakery, ready-to-eat, frozen and seafood sectors. In addition to its Jacksonville, Florida, headquarters, Stellar operates tactical support locations and offices throughout the United States and across the world.

Stellar does more than design efficient buildings, Stellar designs the most efficient and profitable processes for what goes on inside them, including plant and production line layouts, utility system design, equipment specification and installation, as well as startup and commissioning services. The team’s academic and operational backgrounds combine with design and construction expertise to provide clients the insights needed to move businesses forward.

Stellar’s work in the poultry industry is highly regarded, seen specifically in the Keystone Foods poultry processing plant which earned the 2010 ABC Excellence in Construction award, the 2010 ABC Excellence in Construction Safety and was named the 2009 Food Engineering Plant of the Year.

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Wire Belt B5155 www.wirebelt.com

Steen B8362 www.steen.be Steen is known for more than 50 years for their cutting edge food processing machinery. With their experience, they produce highend skinning machines for practically any chicken or turkey part as the ST700 skinning machine, with or without water. Innovation makes this machine to be taken apart without tools for easy and thorough cleaning. Next to that, they also have their high-yield deboning machines for chicken thigh, drum and prime wing like the ST828, ST800 or ST840, but also for turkey like the ST850. Next to de-boning, the ST840 is also able to make pirzola from thighs and tulips from the prime wings. Other specialties in their range are the ST820 mid-wing de-boner, prime wing tulip processor, the ST350 thigh sparerib machine, the ST832 thigh de-boner with patella remover and the whole breast skinning machine ST650. The ST700, ST840 and the ST850 will be displayed for your inspection at IPPE 2017 in Atlanta, booth B8362, where their sales team will be more than happy to answer all your questions.

The Wire Belt Company says its Flat-Flex conveyor belting is the preferred choice for the majority of end-user poultry processors and original equipment manufacturers. With up to 86% open area and a clean in place capability, Flat-Flex makes it even easier to keep production lines both hygienic and efficient.

For over 85 years Flat-Flex has offered food manufacturers a vital combination of product support and flow-through in one belt, as well as small transfer diameters to ensure gentle handling of product between conveyors.

The use of stainless steel over plastic alternatives provides a superior resistance to surface damage such as scratches and crevices, which can harbor bacteria from wash-down processes. A study commissioned by Wire Belt found that on average a Flat-Flex belt harbored 90% less bacteria than a Plastic Modular belt after identical operating and clean down periods.

Multisorb B4720 www.multisorb.com Oxygen is detrimental to the shelf life of jerky; it can cause spoilage, mold growth, rancidity, and loss of color and flavor quality.

However, Multisorb’s JerkyFresh oxygen absorbers offer an industry leading solution specifically designed to protect all types of jerky products.

JerkyFresh irreversibly absorbs oxygen inside sealed packaging to less than 0.01 percent and maintains this level. It removes oxygen trapped in sealed packages, even after vacuum packaging and gas flushing, and then continues to help protect your jerky, combatting the effects of microscopic pores in packaging that allow oxygen to infiltrate over time.

By reducing and maintaining oxygen levels below that of other packaging methods, JerkyFresh helps to better maintain quality and extend your product shelf life. JerkyFresh oxygen absorbers are manufactured by Multisorb Technologies in a cGMP compliant facility in the US, assuring a quality product.

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Baader c1641 www.baader.com Can animal welfare and strict biosecurity measures be reconciled with financial gain? The BAADER LINCO answer is a resounding “yes”. The UniLoad live bird handling system implements best animal welfare practices from catching to slaughtering, and the transport equipment is designed to go through rigorous washing and disinfection routines before picking up new flocks.

Furthermore, UniLoad allows for implementing Controlled Atmosphere Stunning (CAS) in a pit system. CAS allows for less bird stress, improved workers’ welfare, better meat quality, and fewer downgrades. By carrying out CAS stunning in a pit system, the stunning process can be thoroughly monitored and controlled via gas sensors and a camera system. At all times, the birds inside the pit and the actual gas gradient can be monitored on a touchscreen.

The UniLoad drawers and modules are offered in various configurations to best fit farm facilities, truck sizes and legal regulations. Full truck utilisations allows for higher loading capacity, fewer hauling travels and better carbon footprint

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Meyn C1617 www.meyn.com Meyn Food Processing Technology is the reliable and committed partner of renowned poultry processing companies in over 100 countries worldwide. The Dutch company is widely recognized for its ability to support its customers around the world in their ambition for higher capacity and increased yield and efficiency.

“We focus on our customers' ambition to create end-products of the desired quality, while realizing the best financial results.

For this purpose, we present solutions that allow the customer to manage either individual pieces of equipment, specific quality aspects, whole departments, or even the entire process - literally ranging from wall to wall. For reasons of flexibility, equipment can be operated stand alone, or it can be integrated, now or later, into larger systems or into completely integrated factory management systems,” says Meyn.

Tipper Tie B4133 www.tippertie.com Tipper Tie, Inc., a leading supplier of automated clipping systems, says its new TTSealH delivers key performance benefits to meat processors. Processors can expect to see improved productivity and lower packaging costs with the automated heat-seal and clip system for pumpable products.

TTSealH is compatible with the company’s TT1512 and TT1815 automatic double clippers. The system runs cost effective roll stock films including blank or printed films, as well as most types of monolayer and multi-layer flat foils such as poly, mylar, and aluminum coated films. Roll stock film increases versatility while enabling longer production runs with a maximum film roll diameter of 355 millimeters. The system’s hot-seal capacity is 30 meters per minute, producing chubs in calibers from 20 to 120 millimeters.

It’s highly functional controls enable a single operator to work in any of several languages, quickly accessing and recalling hundreds of product recipes. The system is compact and constructed of stainless steel and other non-corrosive materials. The results are long service life, safe performance, hygienic cleaning, and easy maintenance.

www.meatpacking.info

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Unitherm B6445 www.unithermfoodsystems.com Unitherm is known for its innovative approach to the design and creation of thermal food processing equipment and systems to maximize yields while enhancing safety and profitability. While most other food processing equipment suppliers are known for the breadth of lines, Unitherm has grown its business by focusing on efficiency and safety in the thermal processes that matter most.

From cooking and chilling to pasteurization and freezing, Unitherm provides best-of-breed continuous thermal food processing equipment to maximize quality, production efficiency, and safety.

Combining innovative product design with quality craftsmanship allows Unitherm to guarantee product outcomes that are safe and efficient. It also pioneered impingement technology for freezing, and introduced a continuous crusting process to dramatically improve the efficiency of log slicing.

Cantrell B5719 www.cantrell.com Cantrell of Gainesville, Georgia, one of the leading manufacturers and distributors of poultry/food processing equipment and spare parts, will showcase its popular range of processing equipment at IPPE. This will consist of its: Gizzard Harvester, Cut-up Saw, Vacuum Cyclone Edible, Vacuum Control Panel, Dip Tank Conveyor, Picker, Separator, Oil Sac Cutter, Paw Tracking Operation (Software), Wing Segmenter System with Unloader and Cone Line Section, Cantrell Parts Display and Murzan Pump. Along with processing equipment, Cantrell offers replacement parts for other manufacturers’ equipment, as well as its own. The company also designs and builds custom parts/equipment at its modern manufacturing facility.

Chiorino C506 www.chiorino.com Chiorino’s HP Compact Drive is using the HP System and experience – developed through Chiorino’s work developing military coatings – producing a belt that is not hydroscopic in nature, can accept extreme wash-downs and HAACP procedures easily. The HP Compact Drive can also handle temperature extremes both cold -22F and hot +230F (steam cleaning is possible) and this new design is much more easily cleaned. Chiorino claims a 60-60-60 return on investment. A 60% reduction in water usage, a 60% reduction in time to clean the belt, and up to 60% energy cost reduction compared to modular. There is a hybrid traction tension layer that is more predictable, allowing for better suitable for Z conveyors designs. Completely sealed this new belt is NSF Certified, FDA and USDA compliant. In addition, REACH compliance and European standards are all met.

The company expects food safety and hygienic responsible personnel in all types of food processing to find HP Compact Drive a much more suitable product to use in conveying applications.

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www.meatpacking.info

A TRADITION OF INNOVATION

Innovative ingredients.

Quality products.

Trusted Brand.

With 20 years of innovation, Corbion knows the value and importance of providing solutions that help you meet the needs of consumers and adapt your meat products to the evolving marketplace. From shelf life and listeria control to clean label and natural solutions, Corbion’s team of experts partners with you and provides the tools and resources you need to help you deliver quality meats your consumers can trust.

INTERESTED IN MEAT AND POULTRY SOLUTIONS?

corbion.com/meatandpoultry

STEEN

foodus@corbion.com

®

www.steen.be

STEEN 850 The STEEN ST850 turkey de-boner is constructed as a carousel on which the products are placed in line with the deboning head.

The machine provides perfect results without any bone breakage, every time when deboning anatomically cut turkey thighs, drumsticks or wings.

With one person operating the machine, the capacity is 35 pieces a minute.

STEEN FPM INTERNATIONAL NV/SA Belgium (head office): +32 3 665 04 00 • Fax: +32 3 665 34 58 www.steen.be • info@steen.be PHONE USA: 404-374-3966 - PHONE CAN: 416-414-6762

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Handtmann B4315 www.handtmann.us To say that Handtmann is proud of its new VF 800 series of vacuum fillers is an understatement. But, after MPJ toured its German manufacturing plant this summer it’s easy to understand why. Handtmann has set the bar extremely high with flawless engineering and design. The company says that there are more than 100 individual developments in the new VF 800 series but its most powerful innovation is that it is not just an optimization of individual features. Instead, Handtmann has seamlessly integrated all of these advancements to create an entirely new approach to vacuum filling based on customer visions of the new generation requirement, preferences, and areas of concern for plant operations, R&D technology and automation, and finance and business management.

Marel Stork B4321 www.marel.com/poultry With the most complete product range and the largest installed base worldwide, Marel Stork Poultry Processing offers in-line poultry processing solutions for all process steps and all processing capacities. We have dedicated processing systems for broilers, turkeys and ducks.

“For decades, we have supported processors all over the world to find better ways to optimize their processes. It’s our conviction that the best way of doing this is by offering state-of-the–art, innovative technology. That is why we invest much more than the poultry industry average on innovation. To us innovation is more than a trendy word: It’s our passion, part of our DNA.” Marel Stork systems are modular, can be combined with other equipment and with manual processes. The company offers solutions for complete in-line processing up to the highest possible production capacities at the desired automation level.

VC999 C829 www.vc999.com Today the pressure to deliver fresher cut product means suppliers need to find ways in which to slice meat and poultry immediately after the cooking process is complete. VC999 will be showing what they are calling “the complete slicer” at the forthcoming IPPE. The SL600 delivers perfectly sliced meat or poultry without prechilling. Crust freezing is no longer necessary. The innovation comes in the form of a unique cutting process. An arched shaped blade cuts from the heart of the machine and rotates to meet up six lines of product almost simultaneously.

VC999 says the blade design, cutting action and position dramatically reduces the amount of pressure necessary to slice, meaning far less pre-chill preparation. And it delivers consistent cuts to all kinds of different shaped, sized meats.

The benefits being fresher produce, warmer pre-cut, less time in storage, no crust freezing, more capacity with greater consistency, reduced machine down time and less stress to the supplier.

Superior in design and manufacture from VC999, a Swiss company with over 41-years’ experience, it is at the forefront of the packaging machinery.

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Banss B8087 www.BanssAmerica.com Banss is a custom design and manufacturer of slaughtering and meat processing systems for pigs, cattle, sheep, goats, and lamb. The company offers customer specific, custom automation equipment /systems and accessories, ranging from stand-alone process equipment to complete turn-key facility systems, as well as storage and cooling room conveyance systems.

“We attribute utmost importance to animal welfare, quality, safety, hygiene and ergonomics, so that every installation - independent from its automation level - meets the highest standards. Each plant is optimized to make the best use of human and capital resources.

“Our 141+ years’ knowledge with design and manufacturing of slaughter/ harvesting equipment for worldwide facilities allows us to offer the best and latest technology. With offices in Germany, Demark, Spain, Russia, China, Spain, Thailand and the USA, we are able to fully support all our worldwide customers.”

Prime Equipment C1323 www.primeequipmentgroup.com Prime Equipment Group is a USA-based manufacturer of poultry processing equipment that has earned the trust of the industry by supplying innovative, reliable and hard-working solutions for nearly every point on the modern processing line. The Group designs and builds stand-alone machines, as well as customized equipment systems and equipment from brand partners for processing plants all over the world. Its team members also offer engineering assistance, hands-on field support and a quality selection of spare and replacement parts for multiple industries in over 15 countries.

“Our corporate headquarters, product development and primary manufacturing facilities are located in Columbus, Ohio, and are made up of a talented team of engineers, designers, executives, fabricators, builders, service techs and sales reps. To help with supporting our growing international client base, we’ve also recently added additional sales & distribution offices in Chapeco, Brazil; Moscow, Russia; and San Louis Potosi, Mexico.”

Poss C1505 www.poss-separators.com With over 37 years of experience, Poss Design Limited has proven to be the world leader in quality separation solutions for turkey and other meats. There are currently 780 machines running in more than 58 countries worldwide, with over 210 installations in the USA alone, and more than 50 in each of the former East Bloc countries, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile.

More than 500 of these machines are designed to process conventional chicken mechanical deboning. 100+ more are running turkey deboning, primarily making USDA ground turkey from bone in turkey drums. The remaining are being used for pork deboning and beef shank de-sinewing, as well as various niche applications including pork skin de-fatting and boney trim to recover high value coarse ground product.

www.meatpacking.info

Meat Packing Journal C1300 meatpacking.info MPJ is the only international magazine covering the slaughtering, processing, packaging, and distribution of meat and poultry. It is distributed to over 5,000 slaughtering and processing facilities around the world and seen in print and digital by more than 28,000 readers. The journal digs into the issues affecting the meat industry, keeping readers abreast of the latest developments, trends, best practice and research. Published six times a year, the magazine looks deeper into the industry and delivers the most up to date thinking and commentary. Come by and see us at our stand.

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Multivac

Reiser

B5559 www.us.multivac.com

B5845 www.reiser.com

A world renowned authority in packaging machinery, MultiVac has provided countless packaging solutions across a host of industries and applications. In its 50 plus year history, the company has designed and implemented over 30,000 automated packaging systems globally. MultiVac leads the market with innovative packaging solutions, strategic consultation, technical design and exceptional service.

“We call it better packaging; our customers call it success.” From its North American headquarters, located in Kansas City, Missouri, the US division of MultiVac employs over 300 people, nearly 150 of which are engaged in field sales and service.

For 50 years, Reiser has been a leading supplier of processing and packaging equipment solutions for the sausage, meat, poultry, seafood, prepared food, bakery and cheese industries. During that time, the company has gained recognition for its high-quality equipment, innovative engineering, and outstanding service and support.

Reiser is pleased to announce that it recently installed at J&G Foods in Sutton, Massachusetts, a fifth Repak RE20 in-line form/fill/seal vacuum packaging machine. The Repak horizontal form/fill/seal packaging machine produces vacuum and modified-atmosphere packages (MAP) from flexible and semi-rigid materials, as well as Vacuum Skin Packages (VSP).

“Our five Repaks are reliable, versatile, high-performance packaging machines used for our case-ready meat programs,” said Bill Leva, chief operations officer at J&G. “We also rely on Reiser and their capable and responsive staff for prompt support and service whenever we need it. Reiser is an important partner to the growth of J&G Foods.”

CFS C341 www.mycfs.com Computerway Food Systems (CFS) is a world leader in integrated plant floor and enterprise-level information systems designed specifically for food manufacturing, processing and handling operations. Incorporated in 1986 and located in High Point, North Carolina, Computerway modules include precise recall and traceability, real-time production control, accurate and aged inventory of products and packaging, and scanned shipping and receiving operations.

In overhead sizing, the Computerway Wolf (Integrated Sizing System) is the most technologically advanced concept in overhead sizing line controls ever built. The Wolf Integrated Sizing System can control more sizing lines with greater capacity, superior overall accuracy and unmatched reliability. This revolutionary system dramatically impacts plant efficiency and profitability.

The CFS IPPE exhibit will feature new technologies developed specifically for poultry, egg, and other food manufacturing companies for enhancing production efficiency while improving quality and food safety.

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Hawkins C131 www.hawkinsinc.com Since 1994 Hawkins has been manufacturing food ingredients for the meat industry. In 1995 Hawkins was granted a patent for a liquid sodium phosphate system and the company has invested in multiple expansions at its Minneapolis location and built a second facility in Illinois in 2008 to meet demand. The Hawkins’ teams are experts in the area of acid based reactions to produce liquid salts and have been expanding its antimicrobial product lines for the meat and poultry industries.

“Our growth and investment in product development benefits you. We align ourselves with industry, academia, government, and laboratories to bring science solutions to you. Both our Food Ingredient production facilities are SQF and ISO certified.”

Hawkins’ Ingredients Works supports your needs with solutions for: yield and moisture management; color stability and flavor protection; and food safety, pathogen control, microbial suppression, and texture modification.

www.meatpacking.info

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Bettcher B5235 www.bettcher.com Bettcher has partnered with Alchemy Systems on a new series of trimmer training modules designed specifically for the Alchemy group-based training platform. The modules provide training content that complements face-to-face training done by Bettcher Yield Specialists.

The company says that its Quantum Meat Trimmer System will benefit your meat processing operation by increasing meat yields; more productivity with faster, easier cutting procedures – even for the toughest meat trimming applications; easy, uncomplicated tool use, with less operator training needs and more worker safety.

When you work with Bettcher Industries, you gem ore than just innovative cutting tools and meat processing products, you gain access to hands-on expertise and support; in your own plant, working with your people. With decades of experience, Bettcher’s highly trained yield specialist can show hidden profits in your plant.

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Sæplast B5845 www.reiser.com Sæplast is introducing a third size into one to its top-selling reusable plastic container ranges for food processing. The new Sæplast PE 750 will be launched at the IPPE show in Atlanta in 2017. Sæplast cares for your food with our food safe focused line of PE containers.

The new 750 L container sits between the 630 L and 875 L sizes to offer customers additional choice and flexibility in food transportation and storage. It is available in a variety of color offerings along with optional drain holes, optional lid and can be personalized with company logos. The container can incorporate tracking options such as bar code, QR code or RFID technology.

The one piece seamless closed cell design is produced with 100% food grade polyethylene and is ideal for supply chain handling in the poultry, meat and animal by-product industries. The rugged and reliable construction outlasts all other plastic single wall options available on the market today. The smooth wall design enables the container to be easily cleaned for repeated use

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Provisur B4803 www.provisur.com Provisur Technologies is committed to bringing value to its customers by listening to their unique requirements and delivering innovative technology that drives line performance and productivity. From raw material to finished product, Provisur provides operational efficiencies, greater line throughput and yields, uncompromising quality, a commitment to food safety, all at the lowest cost of ownership.

“Our team of food scientists and engineers will help develop your products and design a complete line solution tailored to your needs. Whether you’re looking for an integrated system or a single piece of equipment for grinding and mixing, separating, forming, coating and cooking, freezing, slicing or auto-loading, Provisur has the right solution.”

Equipment on display at IPPE will include the new NovaMax660, the next-generation in Formax slide-plate forming technology.

Provisur Slicing Solutions displayed will include the CashinEDGE Bacon Slicer with Servo Card Dispenser.

Allmeat Solutions C1123 www.allmeatsolutions.com Allmeat Solutions specializes in high quality mechanical separators and service for the meat processing industry. With over 16 years of experience in the design and manufacturing of mechanical separators, our innovative equipment is simplified and practical, resulting in ease of use and high level of performance. Designed to withstand the harshest processing needs, our equipment is built heavy-duty and is extremely durable and robust.

Our equipment is made in Brampton, Ontario, one of the most developed manufacturing hubs in North America. We have a 22,000 sq./ft. manufacturing facility capable of producing all of our equipment from start to finish under one roof. As a result, we have full supervision of the manufacturing process and therefore can provide equipment produced to the highest standards set by our customers. We also provide on-time delivery for replacement parts, rapid turnaround on equipment repairs, and service on all our customers’ existing equipment.

Hitachi C1671 www.hitachi-america.us Hitachi America is a leading manufacturer of marking and coding product solutions used in packaging applications throughout North and South America. The company’s industrial continuous inkjet printers have delivered state-of-the-art technology with exceptional reliability for over 36-years.

Hitachi’s innovative lineup of marking and coding products help support end user’s track and traceability requirements via date code, expiration, and barcode serialization on any productpackaging surface. The latest Hitachi RX Series high-speed printers are easy to use and efficient, reducing typical fluid usage by nearly 50 percent.

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Elplast B6369 www.elplastamerica.com

CSB C363 www.csb.com The requirements to be met by meat processing companies are constantly increasing and competition is getting tougher – both nationally and internationally. To manage your company efficiently and economically, you require innovative information technology which can cope with growing market needs – today and in future.

As a leading IT industry specialist, CSB-Systems have been standing for meat industry expertise for 36 years.

From procurement to slaughtering, cutting, production, recipe optimization, integrated price labelling, and efficient picking – with the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution for the meat industry by CSB-System you profit from having a single system for managing all business areas and you realize lasting competitive advantages for your company through optimization of your processes.

Elplast has over 250 zipper profiles within its EL-Zip range. With modern manufacturing facilities in both Europe and the US they are set up to provide global supply and support. Within the range there are reclose options for all types of process; vertical form fill seal, horizontal doy and flow-wrapper lines as well as vacuum packing systems.

The company is constantly innovating their product line with products that have both a tactile and audible element to ensure ease of use for the consumer. Multi rail zipper solutions maximize freshness and provide a convenient end user experience. Elplast have several technologies ideal for meat products. They have developed a peal seal layer which effectively eliminates the need for a peel seal film; enhancing performance whilst providing economies. The heavy duty systems such as our 5 rail profile and dissymmetric opening force profiles are suitable for heavy frozen packs of various meat fillets. With over 2 billion meters of capacity Elplast is becoming one of the largest global players within the flexible packaging reclose market.

Treif B5123 www.treif.com The Falcon Hybrid+ is equipped with the most sophisticated technology of any portion cutter available on the market, says Trief.

Bone, VL, and salt content all effect the density of every primal.

However, the pre-scales and 4-D scanning system collaborate creates accurate automatic density calculations for every primal.

Versatility is one of the machines strongest attributes and with quick changeover times, the Falcon Hybrid+ is ideally suited for fresh, crusted, semi-frozen, boneless, and bone-in. Combine this with the specialist blades and intelligent software, the Falcon Hybrid+ can even slice fixed-weight minute steaks.

The TREIF Falcon Hybrid+ includes a mechanical upgrade that has improved on already outstanding results achieved on the Falcon Hybrid. The new driven downholder follows the contour of the pre-scanned primal and drives the top of the primal towards the blade at a variable speed. This improves the accuracy of each slice, especially on fresh meat, due to the increased stability while slicing.

www.meatpacking.info

Rome B4661 www.romegrindingsolutions.com Rome Ltd was started in 1977 and has since then become the industry leader in manufactured meat grinders. With over 150 combined years of CNC machining technology, in-house engineering, in-house tin plating, and the best customer and technical service support available, Rome says its your one stop shop for all of your meat grinder needs.

Whether you’re in need of a new grinder, grinder parts, or replacement OEM parts for your facility, Rome will not only meet but exceed your needs. “Over the years we have listened to our customers’ needs and developed a full line of quality grinders, as well as a complete line of superior cutting parts.

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Iran: next Klondike or black hole for business?

The lifting of sanctions earlier this year opened the Iranian economy to international trade and investment. MPJ considers whether this heralds a new era for the countryone of the last great untapped emerging markets - as a major player in the global halal meat industry, or will politcs prevent forward movement. Jodie Moore reports

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T

he West and Iran’s landmark deal, negotiated in July 2015 and realized in January 2016, removes sanctions related to Iran’s nuclear program and gives Iran a seat at the global trading table after more than a decade in exile. While the focus may naturally turn to energy exports as a means to pull the country out of the international economic wilderness, Iran has huge potential across almost all sectors, and halal meat and poultry production is no exception. As a country where the majority of citizens are Muslim, and 100% of food consumption and products halal, Iran could surely play a major role in the global halal meat industry. Couldn’t it?

In theory, it certainly should. The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) estimates that by 2025, Muslims will make up 30% of the world’s population and 20% of the global food trade will be dedicated to halal products.

Euromonitor International reports that the halal meat industry is currently worth $43.3bn in a global halal food market that is forecast to be worth $1.6 trillion by 2020. This $43.3bn figure is expected to rise to $58.3bn by 2018. Iran’s domestic meat industry was estimated at $6.7 billion in 2015, having grown by 1.5% cumulative annual growth rate between 2013 and 2015. The increase in demand was due primarily to a modest population growth.

The country is a net importer of meat and live animals, with a net balance of $383 million

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– importing $580 million and exporting $197 million in 2014, according to UN Comtrade. The increasing global demand, and indeed the demand driven by a growing population, requires Iran to seriously pursue the production and international trading of halal meat.

For the country to take advantage of the economic benefits of the halal meat and poultry industry, it needs support – lots of it. Years of sanctions have taken their toll on the economy, industry and international trading relationships.

Meat processing equipment is outdated and

Iran meat industry at a glance Associations and Organizations

282

Slaughterhouses

286

Fishing Centers

266

Raw Meat Packing Industries

73

Processed meat manufacturers

99

Machinery manufacturers

309

Source: Salaam Gateway.

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Iran’s Economy - An overview

I

ran's economy is marked by statist policies, inefficiencies, and reliance on oil and gas exports, but Iran also possesses significant agricultural, industrial, and service sectors. The Iranian government directly owns and operates hundreds of state-owned enterprises and indirectly controls many companies affiliated with the country's security forces. Distortions – including inflation, price controls, subsidies, and a banking system holding billions of dollars of nonperforming loans – weigh down the economy, undermining the potential for private-sectorled growth.

Private sector activity includes small-scale workshops, farming, some manufacturing, and services, in addition to medium-scale construction, cement production, mining, and metalworking. Significant informal market activity flourishes and corruption is widespread.

Fiscal and monetary constraints, following the expansion of international sanctions in 2012 on Iran's Central Bank and oil exports, significantly reduced Iran's oil revenue, forced government spending cuts, and sparked a sharp currency depreciation. Iran’s economy contracted for the first time in two decades

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during both 2012 and 2013, but growth resumed in 2014. Iran continues to suffer from high unemployment and underemployment.

Lack of job opportunities has prompted many educated Iranian youth to seek employment overseas, resulting in a significant "brain drain."

In June 2013, the election of President Hasan Ruhani generated widespread public expectations of economic improvement and greater international engagement. Almost two years into his term, Ruhani has achieved some success, including reining in inflation and, in July of 2015, securing the promise of sanctions relief for Iran by signing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with the UN Security Council’s five permanent members plus Germany. The JCPOA, which severely limits Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for unfreezing Iranian assets and reopening Iran to international trade, should bolster foreign direct investment, increase trade, and stimulate growth. In spite of Ruhani’s efforts, Iran’s growth was tepid in 2015, and significant economic improvement resulting from sanctions relief will take months or years to materialize.

Source: Central Intelligence Agency

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Matyas Rehak / Shutterstock.com

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slaughterhouses and factories are in need of modernization. In short, Iran’s meat industry has a long way to go before it can be recognized as a credible competitor in the market.

Not only that, there is much work to be done to build confidence amongst consumers, industry players and international investors. This includes the establishment of new structures and regulatory frameworks in the meat processing industry to create a foundation of growth and stimulate trade and investment. And, while Iran appears to have money to spend – the lifting of restrictions has allowed access to more than $100 billion in overseas assets frozen since sanctions were put in place – does this actually mean the country is in a position to invest in foreign equipment to upgrade its meat industry?

At a recent conference discussing the opportunities in the halal economy, Iran's Ambassador to Kuala Lumpur, Marziyeh Afkham, emphasized the importance of a seamless pointto-point halal supply chain focusing on investment in research and development, innovation, human capital development, banking and finance, and 64 | Meat Packing Journal | November~December 2016

calling upon countries to collaborate to establish a global halal hub.

A strong position

T

hat said, as a country Iran seems to be at a reasonably strong starting point.

Over 60% of the 80 million population is under 30, with the urban population comprising around 70%. This “youth bulge” has had exposure to more of the world than their parents’ generation and have greater aspirations for their future. They are ready to take advantage of the opportunities now potentially open to them. Likewise, the growing middle-class demands high quality food, as well as easier access to international products. The Iranian government is arguably one of the most stable of the Middle Eastern countries, and the economy is the second largest in the region. According to Abolhussein Fakhari, the secretary general of Global Halal Institute, Iran’s current portion of the halal market stands at $5 - $6 million which suggests that the www.meatpacking.info

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Iran as Net Beef Exporter

M

eat of bovine animals – primarily from Brazil, India and Pakistan – accounted for a substantial 90.5% of 2014 imports to reach an estimated $525 million. Beef imports from Brazil alone were an estimated $274 million, according to the Association of Brazilian Beef Exporters.

Consumption of beef and veal was 0.4 million tons, 0.25 million tons of which were produced in Iran. according to the Italian Trade Agency.

Iran has historically faced challenges with meat production. The Italian Trade Agency reports that livestock companies typically operate at 20 – 30% of production capacity, and that animals delivered to slaughterhouses are often underweight and fail to meet international standards.

Production challenges have been exacerbated by sanctions, which have resulted in inflated feed prices.

Source: Salaam Gateway

Iranian poultry market. The industry is in desperate need of modernization

Iran as Net Poultry Exporter country has yet to obtain a fair share of the world trade of halal products. So surely the relaxing of sanctions should have foreign investors beating a path to Iran’s door to take advantage of this potential?

not all sanctions are equal

U

nfortunately for Iran it’s not that simple. While sanctions relating to Iran’s nuclear program have been lifted, technically leaving the economy open for trade and investment, US sanctions related to other issues are still in place, creating a minefield that’s enough to deter the most robust and least risk-averse investor. Several major European banks, including Deutsche Bank, Credit Suisse Group and Standard Chartered, have declared that they are not yet ready to do business in Iran. This is not for a lack of confidence in the country’s potential, but for fear of breaking the remaining sanctions imposed on Iran by the US. The situation isn’t helped by the existence www.meatpacking.info

I

ran is a net exporter of poultry, including meat as well as live animals.

Poultry exports reached 120,000 tons in 2014. These exports increased by 28 percent CAGR to reach $109 million between 2010 and 2014, resulting in net exports of $75 million in 2014.

Source: Salaam Gateway

of an influential American lobby group, United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), which is running an international campaign to actively discourage companies from doing business in the country, citing risks relating to sanctions, corruption and business reputation.

The remaining sanctions and their implications are not the only issues that stand in the way of Iran’s reintegration to the global trading market. Although several Iranian banks have been reconnected to SWIFT, the global payments network, enabling them to conduct cross-border November~December 2016 | Meat Packing Journal | 65

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transactions, transactions in US dollars are prohibited. Given that the US dollar is the world’s main business currency, Iran is effectively locked out of the global banking system unless a workaround agreement can be reached. A frustrating situation for the Islamic Republic waiting to reap the benefits of the nuclear agreement that they struck.

signs of a thaw

I

n spite of this, there is progress. In contrast to the attempts of UANI to stop companies from working with Iran, US officials are holding a series of informal roadshows around the world to help organizations who are considering doing business in Iran understand the maze of sanctions and penalties.

And companies are responding. In May alone, more than 300 German companies visited the Islamic Republic to explore opportunities in the country. Earlier this year Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board took a delegation of 17 Irish food exporters on a trade mission to Iran. Aidan Cotter, Chief Executive of Bord Bia, said: “While challenges still exist for Irish companies supplying into the market, we will work with them during this visit to explore new openings and ensure that as impediments to trade recede so Irish exporters can access the market early, build fruitful relationships and grow their businesses in tandem with economic growth.”

Further, New Zealand’s Prime Minister, John Key recently said that the country is keen to re-establish old trade links with Iran which, prior to sanctions being imposed, saw the two countries enjoying a mutually beneficially trade of halal meat.

This is just a fraction of the organizations from Europe, Asia and other parts of the world who have embarked on trade missions to the country since January. And, while the world’s banks may well be waiting for that one big transaction that will give potential investors the reassurance they’re seeking,

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there are signs that the financial market may be opening up.

Some four months after implementation day of the nuclear deal, Italy’s state financing agency, the Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, announced that the country will issue €4bn in credit lines to Iran as a means to fund big infrastructure projects. In a reciprocal agreement, Italian companies are expected to be involved in these contracts. The $5bn deal includes guarantees for exports and an additional €800m in funding for Italian SMEs doing business in the country. Majid Zamani, managing director of Iranian bank Kardan said: “This could be the most substantial development in resuming trade between Iran and Europe after the implementation day [of the nuclear agreement]”.

hurry up and wait

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otwithstanding the legal, political and financial issues that still cloak the country in uncertainty, experts appear to agree that the potential for Iran to play a major role in the global halal meat industry is real.

One indication that the industry is recognizing this potential is the launch of the world’s first exhibition specializing solely in halal meat production and related industries, and the only meat industry trade fair in the Middle East. MeatEx, taking place in Tehran from November 5th to 8th 2016, will showcase innovations and products from the whole chain of meat production, including packaging, distribution, meat and poultry sales, machinery and technology. The event aims to provide a platform for halal meat producers and suppliers to access players in the market and is expected to attract over 3000 visitors from around the world.

Dr. Heinrich Matthee of EU-based strategic advisory firm JISR believes that foreign organizations prepared to play the waiting game will have the best chance of being successful in business dealings with Iran. Despite the fact that progress is being made, it will take time to resolve the issues. Plus, the result of the US presidential elections in November may well be a real game changer.

In the meantime, there are steps that the country can take to strengthen its domestic position in the halal meat market and prepare for a greater role in the global industry. Salaam Gateway, the online platform for Islamic economy-related industry news and intelligence, advises local producers and suppliers to seek to boost domestic production and leverage best practices, while establishing customer relationships abroad.

It may be a waiting game for both sides but the rewards will surely be worth the wait. www.meatpacking.info

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Q& Nick Smit A

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hen you need an expert’s opinion, turn to an expert. Nick Smit, Alltech’s vice president for Alltech Africa and Middle East, has years of working experience in the Middle East. MPJ asks his opinion on doing business in Iran and in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The BBC wrote in January that Iran was “one of the great untapped emerging markets.” Do you see Iran the same?

Iran has one of the largest populations in the Middle East with 78 million people, which equates to 60 percent of the Middle East’s population.

Alltech has been in Iran for several years, and the key to being successful in this market is to have a strong business partner, which we have through Andishan, led by Mr. Ali Harandi, who sees agribusiness as his priority for the foreseeable future. The three major animal protein segments are all seeing tremendous changes in growing larger units: developing the integrated model in broiler production (presently, the country counts nine fully blown integrations, and 48 are on the list to be approved), concentration of the dairy operations within specific regions (the largest concentrations are presently in the Tehran and Esfahan regions) and larger farms will increase yields and reduce their existing costs of production.

At the recent IFFA trade show in Frankfurt, a group was there from MeatEx to drum up interest about an Iranian trade show this November. What was never made clear to the audience was if the 68 | Meat Packing Journal | November~December 2016

lifting of sanctions meant that Iran has money to invest in foreign equipment.

It is expected that the sanction lift (not yet fully implemented) will kick in progressively and capital will flow into the country. Right now, there is a clear lack of liquidity in Iran.

The capital inflow will allow modern equipment to be installed (which is still a bottleneck at this point in time) and increase productivity in the short term. The hunger for information and know-how is incredible; 57 percent of the Iranian population uses the internet today, with the second highest country in the Middle East being the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at 21 percent.

Tied into the above, a speaker went on about the potential of Iran’s agriculture industry, in particular chicken, and then said there was a need for foreign investment to make this happen. If the lifting of sanctions meant the freeing up of $100 billion, exactly what investment is Iran looking for and why?

Iran’s per capita consumption of chicken meat is 25 kilograms per annum, while Kuwait reaches 72 kilograms. There is clearly a huge potential to grow the poultry segment in Iran in the short and medium terms. Ninety-five percent of the 200,000 tons of premix produced locally are from substandard operations with a lack of formal training, both at the farm level and all the way through to the slaughter operations. There is also a lack of biosecurity policies and poor on-farm management practices due to a lack of resources, leading to an average mortality rate of 10 percent. Low quality raw materials, which can lead to a high level of mycotoxin contamination, low quality feeds and www.meatpacking.info

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on-farm mixing can lead to high feed conversion rates (FCRs). These are areas where Alltech’s technologies and solutions are making a difference, but the crucial piece needed for our programs to work is the support of our local partner, Andishan’s team, who are working hand-in-hand with our regional technical support team to audit the different segments of the poultry industry and to provide customized solutions to their needs.

You can only imagine the boost this industry will have with a progressive lift of sanctions, which still hasn’t been the case to date. Let’s not forget that, although China has been the major trade partner for Iran in the past 30 years and committed to invest $100 billion in the coming decade in Iran, countries such as Japan and South Korea have also been strong partners of Iran. Also, the Iranian diaspora (5 million Iranians living outside Iran) with high investment capacities (assumed to amount to $ 1.5 trillion) have already started to send funds into Iran and are actively investing in agribusiness.

A Dutch company told MPJ that until Iran’s banking system is brought back into the fold of international finances, it is too difficult to do business there, ie, the company said it took up to six months to receive payment for goods.

We have never experienced such delays in payment terms, but, once again, this depends on how strong and well connected your Iranian partner is. There is a lack of cash in Iran today. Although some economic and financial sanctions have officially been lifted, others related to states supporting terrorist activities haven’t. This is a fact and key to explaining why things are not moving at the velocity expected. Tier two and three banks are the first movers, such as local Turkish or Emirati banks. We can also see Italian and German banks moving into Iran already. In a country where the cost of capital is as high as 27 percent, cash is king. We are seeing tremendous progress made through the use of the internet to gather information relevant to agribusiness. Businesses aren’t waiting for sanctions to be lifted. One trillion USD is forecast to be invested in infrastructures in the country within the upcoming three years.

During the last IPPE trade show in Atlanta, numerous poultry people asked me where they should look into investing. When I told them Iran, most gave me a look that meant they questioned my sanity.

How important is it www.meatpacking.info

to Iran’s agriculture success is the USA, or in looking at important rising halal markets such as Indonesia, does a lack of US commercial support not matter?

Agriculture in Iran represents almost 12 percent of gross domestic product (in comparison to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at 2 percent) and is therefore already a key priority for the country.

They have considerable arable land and are not as water-stressed as most countries in the Middle East. Although they have been under major constraints with the sanctions for the past 36 years, they still managed to grow their agribusiness to feed their population. They are producing 9 million tons of poultry feed, with an existing capacity for 12 million. Broiler FCRs have improved from an average of 2.07 to 1.89 in the past two years without any effective sanction lift. They are also producing 5 million tons for ruminants (mostly dairy) and 0.5 million tons for aqua (their local consumption of fish is 3.4 kilograms per capita per year, whereas the global average is 19.2 kilograms).

The forecast is to grow these volumes by 30 percent in the next three to four years without any sanction lift. Broiler meat imports in the Middle East amount to 2.6 million tons per year, and 50 percent of this volume could be targeted by Iranian broiler integrators when they reach international standards, allowing them to export their brands.

How important is the U.S. to Iran’s agriculture development? First and foremost, the US are controlling the sanction lift and therefore freedom for all of the largest international banks to invest in Iran. Until the economic sanctions are fully lifted, the required financial backup Iran needs for its economy to thrive won’t take place at the expected potential pace. Secondly, Iran needs technology in all segments of its agriculture and the US are leaders in so many of these segments. Sanctions being lifted will speed up the investments Iranians will make in adopting technology and allow these foreign companies to know and invest in the Iranian market themselves.

What are the steps a company could take to see if Iran is where they should be investing?

As mentioned above, you need to go and spend time there to find the best possible local partner, depending of your area of expertise. This means a partner that is well connected politically and regulatory-wise, is financially sound and has November~December 2016 | Meat Packing Journal | 69

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strong front and back office resources. Partners with an international presence will also be something you might want to look out for, as they facilitate trading.

While on one hand Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud’s Vision 2030 seems to be just what the country needs to get off its dependence on petroleum and government spending, the reality seems far different. What will Vision 2030 mean for agriculture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)?

The plan is to inspire and mobilize action to change the country’s economic addiction to oil.

Deputy Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman is spearheading the setup of a $2 trillion sovereign investment fund. This fund would give KSA control over 10 percent of the global investment capacity.

Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) has now opened the gate for 100 percent foreign ownership, which will allow foreign investment in KSA. KSA has allocated $56 billion to education, which places KSA as eighth in world ranking to prepare the next generation of local business leaders. KSA seeks food security and self-sufficiency in specific segments, which it will subsidize. Selfsufficient in milk (112 percent), eggs (118 percent) and dates (107 percent).

Water: Although Saudi Arabia is part of the few countries which have over 70 percent of its territory as arable land (80.6 percent precisely, comparable to Uruguay or South Africa), they are also under major water stress and therefore decided to phase out wheat (will import 3.5 million tons this year) and forage (will import 4 million tons). Subsidizing modern irrigation systems and crops such as corn, as well as poultry production ($0.25/acre) Market for halal foods will reach $1.6 billion by 2020. The Emirates have established an international accreditation forum to develop a unified halal standard.

Carrefour, one of the top three global retailers, has 163 stores throughout the Middle East, and 97 percent of their poultry sales are chicken, with 42 percent still being whole birds. Broiler meat production is expected to grow by 19 percent by 2017; 35 percent locally produced and 80 percent of imports come from Brazil; Top three poultry integrations will invest $1.5 billion in the upcoming five years to upgrade their production Al Marai holds 178,000 dairy cows over seven sites and is therefore the largest dairy operation globally. More than 50 percent (335,000) are held by the top five dairies, and dairy production has grown 4 percent in the past 10 years in KSA, reaching performance levels of 45 kilograms/milk/ cow/day in extreme conditions Having said this, farms holding less than 1000 cows in production today will disappear in the next 70 | Meat Packing Journal | November~December 2016

five years.

There is still a lot of potential to develop business, mostly in the poultry segment, as this is the one expected to see mainstream growth in the coming years.

Understanding where the KSA is and will be investing to protect the crops they need on an international basis is a smart thing to do, as it may be easier to access and develop in these of site territories. Finally, some segments such as dairy need will be submitted to heavier constraints, but we do not feel there will be any pushback as they need to keep their self-sufficiency in this sector and are ready to support it as they also push for food security and independence on essentials.

At a recent annual general meeting I attended as a trustee of a medical charity, two people there from pharmaceutical companies said that Saudi is no longer paying its bills. They were told that if they ever took it to court, they would never get paid; as it was, they might be someday. Who in their right mind would get involved in the Kingdom?

Things are already changing quite dramatically in the KSA because they frankly have no other choice … you need to grasp the opportunity to go there and establish your own business to control your moves within this market and the opportunities a local establishment may give you with neighboring markets. Having said that, yes, they seem to have issues (it is said that some of the state owned companies had not paid their employees for over four months) but the US needs strong partners in the region, and it is highly unlikely they will leave their long-time Saudi partner. It will take time, but gates are now opening for foreign investors to consider doing business differently in the KSA and from this hub to the nearby Middle East export markets.

Nick Smit grew up on a dairy and crop farm on the west coast of South Africa, and attended Stellenbosch University in South Africa, where he received his bachelor’s degree in agriculture, and the University of Guelph in Canada. Smit then went on to work for Ralston Purina in Canada and joined Alltech in 1991 to head up Alltech Canada, while at the same time taking a lead role developing Alltech’s ethanol division in North America.

In 2000, Smit returned to South Africa where he became managing director for Alltech Africa and the Middle East. In 2005, he moved to Alltech’s global headquarters in Kentucky, USA, and became director for North America, in addition to his role in Africa and the Middle East.

At the end of 2007, Smit returned to Stellenbosch, South Africa, to resume his duties as vice president for Alltech Africa and Middle East. www.meatpacking.info

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New specialty steak ‘the Bonanza Cut' A university professor has developed a specialty cut from a piece of beef that has been used for ground meat, but is now being considered one of the best – on par with filet mignon, reports Mike Wolterbeek

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ike a diamond in the rough; a small cut of beef that meat cutters throw in with ground meat is now being looked at as a highend delicacy by researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR).

The small, quarter-moonshaped slice of beef that has a taste and tenderness that outclasses any other cut except filet mignon made its debut in a private tasting.

Assistant professor of meat science and food safety Amilton de Mello, who has redeveloped the use for the piece of meat, talked about the science behind the cut, its ease of trimming and profitability for the meat processing industry, as well as the potential for restaurants to offer it as a premier menu item.

According to de Mello, the Bonanza Cut is juicy, extremely tender and very marbled. The petite slice of beef is ideal for grilling and practically melts in your mouth.

"Chefs and restaurants will love this cut, it can be portioned for many sizes of servings," says de Mello, from the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources and the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension. "And for meat producers, it offers a higher price point and more profits by taking this cut in a new direction."

The meat science program at UNR hosted the private tasting of the Bonanza Cut. Kaimi Coonrad, executive chef of Reno's premier catering company, The Cheese Board American Bistro and Catering Company, prepared and served the delicacy.

"It can be served in a variety of ways, grilling on a flat top, grill, or even a cast iron skillet," says Coonrad. "A light marinade will complement the innate flavor of the meat. The first bite gives a blast of flavor and then the pure flavor of the beef comes through."

Coonrad, with 20 years of experience as a chef, trained at both the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco and the Culinary Institute of

72 | Meat Packing Journal | November~December 2016

America at Greystone. He created two themes for the Bonanza Cut: Mediterranean and Southwest, with six recipes. One of the recipes, The Southwest Bonanza Cut, El Paso style, features a tangy southwest marinade for the cuts served with roasted corn and black bean salad with baked potato wedges and a jalapeno aioli garnish.

"No matter which style you prepare this, you don't want to marinate this cut for long, only 30 minutes," says Coonrad. "The meat is tasty all on its own, and these recipes make it great for either lunches or dinners. It's easy to portion and will have a good price point for restaurants."

Consumers won't find the Bonanza Cut in the meat department or restaurants yet. It will be up to the meat producers, such as JBS who funded de Mello's research, to make the cut available.

De Mello started developing this new cut in 2014 while working for the beef industry. With support from JBS, a world leader in processing of beef products, he conducted research on the cut at the University beginning in 2015 and found it compared extremely well against other cuts of beef.

The objective of the experiment was to evaluate tenderness and cooking yields of the M. infraspinatus caudal tip (the very far end of the flat iron steak) and verify the opportunity of exploring this cut as an added-value product. Research found that the Bonanza Cut has superior marbling and higher fat content compared to other meat cuts, including the flat iron steak.

Easy to trim

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eat processors will like this specialty cut for a number of reasons, one because it's very easy to trim," says de Mello. "When you separate the chuck and the ribs, the Flat Iron steak goes one way – with the Chuck – and the relatively small end stays with the rib side; this is the Bonanza Cut. "The industry will also like it because instead of selling it for $1 a pound as lower quality meat, they www.meatpacking.info

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Clockwise: location of the the Bonanza Cut; Chef Kaimi Coonrad; UNR assistant professor Amilton de Mello

can showcase it for what it is, a premium cut worth more like $5 a pound."

The small cut yields two pieces per beef carcass that combined weigh about a half of a pound.

By angling the cut when breaking the ribs, meat cutters will gain more volume for the Bonanza Cut. "This small volume makes this cut even more special based on its high quality and low availability," de Mello said. "Due to its eating characteristics and unique texture, The Bonanza Cut is a new alternative to replace traditional beef cuts in many different recipes."

Also at the Bonanza Cut unveiling and tasting www.meatpacking.info

was Chris Calkins, Professor of Animal Science at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, who was part of the team that developed the flat iron steak from a project funded by the Beef Checkoff.

"The Bonanza cut is rich and succulent - a tender, savory piece of beef that should prove popular with consumers," he says. "In an industry with a small profit margin, any opportunity to increase value is appreciated. Upgrading this meat from a ground beef/trim price to steak-quality price should return more dollars to the industry. I anticipate a positive reception for the Bonanza Cut, especially from countries that recognize U.S. beef for its quality and flavor."

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he meat science program at the University was invigorated with the hiring of de Mello in December 2015 and the opening of his new meat research lab.

In addition to his research, he teaches about the meat industry, food safety and quality systems and advanced meat science in the University's Department of Agriculture, Nutrition, and Veterinary Sciences.

November~December 2016 | Meat Packing Journal | 73

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Millennials will drive meat demand While the press might make it seem that the world’s Millennials are lining up by the thousands to buy fake meat burgers, the reality is you’re more likely to find this huge generation at In-N-Out Burger. MPJ reports

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t Walter Scott & Sons Fish Shop customers from the wellhealed, upper middleclass area surrounding the store demand that Scott stocks organic farmed salmon. So, like clockwork, every week he places organic grayishcolored fillets next to the much cheaper red farmed salmon in his display case. At the end of the week all the regular salmon is sold and the organic? Scott’s cats never complain.

With today’s Millennials it is the same. According to all surveys this generation, made up of those born between 1977 and 2000, claim to be willing to pay a bit more for a product to support a cause they believe in. In North America, Europe, and Australia/New Zealand, these consumers say that environmental sustainability tops their lists of concerns. Many claim to be eating much less meat – and red meat in particular – due to health, animal welfare, antibiotics, and other reasons, according to Midan Marketing.

But the reality is this. In the USA the meat industry is growing strong with the US Department of Agriculture expecting that the coming decade will see a significant rise in meat consumption due to an end of persistent droughts that afflicted cattle herds in the Great Plains states, a growing economy, and a drop in meat prices which according to Rabobank will go down around 14 percent in the next three years.

With the Boomer generation beginning to disappear into that great Woodstock concert in the sky, it’s Millennials who will be driving this demand.

However, in the meantime processors and supermarkets need to be aware there are two large generations shopping for red meat and their demands do differ in some aspects; offering enormous opportunities but also challenges. In an extensive survey charting the differences in meat 74 | Meat Packing Journal | November~December 2016

habits of Boomers and Millennials, the twelve key factors Midan Marketing discovered are: 1. At-home meal preparation: Millennials are more engaged than Boomers, are willing to try new recipes, and willing to pay more for high quality ingredients.

2. Changes in meat consumption: Millennials’ meat consumption is not stable as Boomers, with Boomers consistently eating more. (However, as MPJ as discovered what Millennials and others say they do in a survey and what they actually do at the supermarket can be two very different things).

3. Reasons for decreasing meat consumption: health concerns are top reason for both groups.

(Again, meat sales paint a very picture from what survey responders reported).

4. Monthly meat spending: Millennials’ spending is significantly higher than Boomers’ which can be attributed to Millennials raising children (over half of Millennial households have children) and they purchased more prepared meals than Boomers.

5. Fresh vs. prepared meat consumption: Millennials buy significantly more prepared meat than Boomers, with both groups preferring fresh meat rather than frozen. Prepared meat accounts for about 44 percent of Millennials’ meat purchases; in comparison, only 22 percent of meat purchases among Boomers are for prepared meats.

6. Attitudes toward meat: Both groups have positive attitudes toward meat, with Boomers having a stronger preference for meat produced and packaged in the US than Millennials.

7. Attitudes toward health as related to food: Millennials are more concerned about health as related to meat consumption and have more rigid attitudes when it comes to health, nutrition, and keeping meat as part of their diet. Part of this ‘attitude’ spillover can be seen in the major changes in the meat snack industry now producing healthier meat sticks, meat bars, and jerky. www.meatpacking.info

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Don't believe all the hype.

Millennials love meat just as much as the Boomers.

8. Social attitudes toward meat: Millennials are more easily influenced and in a social setting are much more likely than Boomers to adjust their meat consumption to align with the group. If the first person at a restaurant table orders vegetarian, it’s a safe bet that the other Millennials at the table will follow suit.

9. Meat purchase decision drivers: similar among both groups such as price and quality. Millennials will be driven to some degree by Green packaging, organic labels, or locally sourced.

10. Use of meat substitutes: Millennials are more likely to try meat substitutes than Boomers, with tofu and soy-based meat being the most common.

11. Meat substitutes: there are different choices for Millennials and Boomers at lunch and dinner with Boomers preferring beans and Millennials grain.

12. General attitudes toward health: Millennials are much more concerned than Boomers and health is a core value for them. However, MPJ wonders if this core value is still there at the supermarket checkout counter. www.meatpacking.info

While Medan’s survey centered on the USA, the issues it brought forward span the globe.

Recently at the Barclays Global Consumer Staples Conference, Tyson Foods President Tom Hayes spoke about how Tyson was going after the Millennial market in China.

Since chicken is commonly bought in live markets in China by older and middle aged Chinese (Boomers), Tyson was going to go after the younger Millennials who it believes are more likely to buy packaged chicken at a supermarket.

At the conference Hayes described a new marketing campaign to go specifically after the Chinese Millennials which he believes is already having an impact.

No matter where in the world, as Medan and others point out, although Millennials are spending more on meat and their consumption is on the rise, “the meat industry must take their unique characteristics and values into consideration to keep them as customers”. With $1 trillion dollars in spending power and a large world population percentage, ignore this generation at your own risk.

November~December 2016 | Meat Packing Journal | 75

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shipping without freezing

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anish Crown is backing a new form of long distance packing which does not require the meat to be either frozen or vacuumed pack.

BluWrap of San Francisco has developed an oxygen management system which creates and maintains an all-natural controlled atmosphere environment during shipping.

Danish Crown recently used the technique to ship fresh pork from Demark to Australia, a shipping journey of 56 days.

“The pork shipped using the BluWrap packaging technology looked identical on the day of opening as it was the day with packed it, despite being 56 days in transit without any ice or freezing,” says Tom Petersen of Danish Crown.

The best way to describe the appearance of BluWrap is it looking like a giant MAP package which surrounds the boxes of meat.

“The product is placed into a plastic bag inside recyclable cardboard boxes, which are then stacked onto pallets. The entire pallet is surrounded by a plastic wrap and sealed to make the secure environment that allows us to control the atmosphere,” says Mark Barnekow, BluWrap CEO, adding that meat and fish products are not individually vacuum packed in BluWrap, saving

on the extra packaging and the extra labor and disposal cost. Instead, BluWrap proteins are placed in a box with a liner to prevent moisture loss during shipping.

A question some have about BluWrap’s shipping is if it would work better if the meat was not processed, but kept whole and hung during shipping inside the giant plastic bag?

“It’s not really an issue of what would work ‘better’,” says Barnekow.

“Suppliers care about optimizing the amount of product they can fit into a container so they can maximize the space.

“In pallet form, it’s much easier to load into a shipping container, and also offers more protection. Not to mention that by processing the meat before shipping, we’re able to put a lot more product on a pallet and more pallets in a shipping container, thereby maximizing product in each container and minimizing the overall logistics costs.”

According to Barnekow there is no need for a client to go through a specific BluWrap facility. For instance, if a New Zealand lamb processor was in the middle of the countryside, the processor would simply pack the lamb into cardboard boxes and stack on a pallet. It could be BluWrapped within the lamb

producer’s facility where they would also add the control box, and apply the atmosphere. Once in atmosphere, it’s ready to ship.

At the far end, opening can be done anywhere by anyone, BluWrap personnel are involved with the customer to review the data which is held in its cloud-based solution (BluCloud). End customers collect the BluWrap hardware, load a container, and ship it back to the supplier's plant.

During shipping all protein is kept at the super chilled temperature range. The temperature is monitored by the BluWrap hardware during the entire journey so the company knows if there has been any fluctuation that may have compromised the product.

While so far salmon packed in Chile for the US market is one of the main users of BluWrap, Barnekow sees this changing.

“The market for proteins is $1 trillion globally. Now that we’ve opened our technology to other proteins beyond seafood, we expect to see other meats and poultry grow significantly. We’ve already begun work with pork which we estimate between 25-30x the size of salmon. Our next target is poultry. There’s no reason, why BluWrap couldn’t be utilized by all proteins.”

Bankrupted shipping firm makes waves

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ssociations representing different parts of the US meat/poultry supply chain have joined a coalition of other industry organizations in signing a letter to Penny Pritzkar, US Department of Commerce Secretary, listing their their concerns over Hanjin Shipping’s bankruptcy. The coalition is asking the department to continue its efforts to facilitate a resolution.

It’s just not world supply chains

which need to be untangled. Sailors onboard Hanjin’s container ships tied up at US ports have been barred from coming ashore. The US Customs and Border Protection agency says it is denying shore leave out of concern the sailors won’t return to their ships.

South Korean Hanjin, the world’s seventh-largest shipping company, filed for bankruptcy protection on 31 August, leaving at the time $14 billion in cargo stranded at sea and

76 | Meat Packing Journal | November~December 2016

disrupting the global supply chain.

At one point dozens of ships were being denied access to ports around the world, because it was unclear who would pay the bills for port services. This, however, seems to be resolved.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, NAMI, the Meat Import Council of America, and USA Poultry & Egg Export Council are among the 120 organizations that signed the letter. www.meatpacking.info

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Hapag-Lloyd orders 5,750 new reefers

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n order of 5,750 stateof-art reefers for German line Hapag-Lloyd were bought specifically with the South American market in mind, according to Anthony Firmin, COO at Hapag-Lloyd.

The investment will consist of 5,000 x 40-foot reefers and 750 x 20-foot units. The company says

1,000 of the new containers are equipped with controlled atmosphere technology, which will enable various products to be transported for longer periods of time while maintaining a consistent quality.

“Hapag-Lloyd is one of the world’s biggest suppliers in the reefer segment and numbers among

the market leaders in South America,” says Anthony Firmin, chief operating officer at Hapag-Lloyd.

"With the newly ordered reefers, we will be able to continue offering state-of-the-art equipment to our customers while at the same time optimizing the efficiency of our container fleet.”

Robot boats to make deliveries

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he Amsterdam Institute for Metropolitan Solutions has announced a five-year research initiative to explore the possible functions of using floating robot vehicles to transport goods and people along the city’s canals.

The program, called Roboat, is being carried out by researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of

Technology and two Dutch universities (the Delft University of Technology and Wageningen University and Research). They have received €25 million in funding for their work ($27 million) and aim to have the first prototype robo-vehicles floating on Amsterdam's canals by 2017.

The Roboat program is also partnering with the city of Boston,

which is one of the most vulnerable cities in the US when it comes to rising tides. In 2014, a consortium of Boston planners and architects suggested converting some of the city's streets to canals in order to accommodate rising sea levels.

Instead of having flood waters overwhelm the city's defenses, they'd simply be channeled into the canals.

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Duke's launches new look and products

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Colorado-based maker of smoked meats is leveraging the rising popularity of protein-laden snacks with a new look for the brand and new products.

Duke's new product line hits on the increasing trend toward proteinbased snacks with distribution of its products expanding across the country. The new line includes six varieties of Smoked Shorty Sausages (Shortys) in 5 oz bags and three varieties of pasture-raised, grassfed Steak Strips in 2.5 oz bags. The company is also rolling out a Shorty three-pack line as a convenient, single-serve option and on-the-go portable protein snack.

The new Smoked Shorty Sausage flavors include Hatch Green Chile, Chorizo & Lime, Hickory Peach BBQ, and Tomato Basil (made from chicken). The new flavors complement the existing Original and Hot & Spicy varieties. The Steak Strips are now available in Traditional Sea Salt, Chipotle BBQ and Honey Bourbon.

Duke's is looking to disrupt the

dried meat snacks category by being the first to market freshly crafted smoked meats with real, whole ingredients (rather than just dried spices) and minimal sugar. The products are made in small batches with fresh-never-frozen meats and freshly chopped fruits and vegetables including roasted garlic, diced Serrano peppers, ripe peaches, and roasted Hatch green chilies.

The new packaging design embodies the brand's "freshly crafted" positioning, featuring hand-drawn illustrations of real, whole ingre-

dients. Each bag is stamped with it's specific batch case number. The unique packaging is unlike any other product within the category, and allows Duke's to stand-out on shelf.

"Our new products will really hit home with consumers and deliver exactly what they are looking for in a healthy, premium snack," says Duke's president and founder, Justin Havlick. Duke's has been expanding distribution in grocery, mass, club and convenience channels.

For more on Duke’s and Justin Havlick, see July/August 2016 MPJ.

vets call for clear animal welfare labels

T

he British Veterinary Association (BVA) is calling for mandatory method of production food labelling, which could offer post-Brexit UK food producers and farmers a unique selling point by providing consumers with the clear welfare labelling they want.

BVA is adding its voice to the Labelling Matters campaign for the introduction of mandatory method of production labelling of meat and dairy products. This would help consumers across the UK to answer the simple questions "How was this animal kept?" and "Did this animal

die a humane death?", including stunning before slaughter.

Evidence shows that consumers in the UK and across Europe want clear food labelling with information about animal welfare: The majority of European consumers are confused by current labelling and are often unable to tell what the welfare standards are for animals used in the product.

Eighty percent of EU consumers want labelling that clearly shows which farm system was used to produce their meat and dairy product, while nearly all vets believe UK

78 | Meat Packing Journal | November~December 2016

consumers of meat should be better informed about slaughter methods A study of 13,500 meat consumers across 27 EU Member States found that 72% want information about the stunning of animals when buying meat.

“Mandatory method of production labelling would give unambiguous information to the high numbers of consumers who care about animal welfare when buying meat and help ensure market support for British farmers who pride themselves on achieving the highest welfare standards," says the BVA. www.meatpacking.info

m a rk e t in g

New strategy for New Zealand

T

he story of New Zealand farming and its farmers will be at the heart of Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s new market development strategy that will target new and emerging markets, says the industry’s marketing group.

Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) Chairman James Parsons says that the development of a red meat sector story, which captures the culture, values and integrity that’s long been associated with New Zealand sheep and beef farmers, will be an angle they aim to exploit in differentiating New Zealand from its competitors in the international marketplace.

However, the “story” will be told with some foreign offices be closed.

“B+LNZ will transition out of a market maintenance role in mature markets to focus on developing future growth opportunities, while

meat companies will continue their efforts to maintain existing markets,” Parsons says.

Under the new direction B+LNZ will be closing permanent offices in the United Kingdom, South Korea and Japan in favor of more flexible resources based in New Zealand.

B+LNZ will continue to have a base in China and the organization will still maintain its own strong, international network and continue to work internationally with partner organizations including meat companies, Meat Industry Association, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.

“The sector agreed that our exporters have deep commercial relationships developed over many years and are well placed to look after the market maintenance role,” says Parsons.

KFC fans bring out inner Colonel Sanders

A

n ever-changing lineup of actors and comedians have taken turns being Colonel Sanders for KFC over the past two years. Now everyone else can have a go.

KFC has released a Snapchat lens that will allow fans to “Colonel-ize” themselves, with glasses, bowtie, goatee, age spots and all, the Louisville-based chain announced.

Earlier KFC announced the release of a limited-run of Extra Crispy fried chicken-scented sunscreen, which was free, but sold out online in minutes. Only 3,000 bottles were initially available, but the company www.meatpacking.info

said “the Colonel forgot to hit the off switch,” and more than 9,000 requests were made in about two hours, including 5,000 in the last 10 minutes of the offer.

Demand became so great that some buyers tried to auction off bottles with some priced at more than $200, company officials said.

KFC then released another round, offering another 3,000 bottles with the reminder, once again, that it is sunscreen, so don’t eat it.

“We had no idea there would be such demand for fried chickenscented sunscreen,” said Kevin Hochman, chief marketing officer for KFC US.

ne w s

Canada deal gives major boost for Welsh lamb

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anadian consumers will soon be seeing far more Welsh lamb in their shops. A major retail chain has announced that it will be stocking the meat in hundreds of shops across the country, and holding promotions in partnership with Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC).

Branded, skin-packed PGI Welsh Lamb cutlets will be available in over 300 stores nationwide. Tasting events will be held at many stores across Ontario and Quebec during the autumn, giving Canadian customers the chance to sample the fabulous taste of Welsh lamb for themselves.

Deanna Leven, HCC’s export development executive, says: “Canada has been an important target market for HCC and our partners in the Welsh red meat industry for some time.

“This news is therefore a major step forward in the Canadian retail market. It’s hugely significant for the Welsh lamb industry to see these new products available in 300 stores country-wide, and for a major supermarket chain to be working with us to hold promotions in-store and on online platforms such as Instagram.

“The reaction so far among consumers has been extremely positive,” adds Deanna. “There’s been an excited reaction online among Welsh expats and food fans, who are delighted that PGI Welsh Lamb is going to be far more widely-available in Canada. This is also a great opportunity to raise awareness of the product in north America, given the potential opening of the US market in the future.”

November~December 2016 | Meat Packing Journal | 79

P r o d uc t

ne w s

product news Stress free stunning Humane handling and stunning, food safety, and automation in the red meat processing industry are SFK LEBLANC’s top priorities for the future, by ensuring top quality meat to the consumers.

The SFK LEBLANC lairage system provides stress-free and groupwise animal handling from the arrival of the animals, to the point of stunning. The animal friendly, automatically moving gates are interlocked with pressure-sensitive devices, therefore will not harm the animals while being guided through the lairage system to the stunning area.

The company, which has offices in Europe, Asia, and North America has developed a state-of-the-art CO2 stunning system featuring the latest technology for improved meat quality and securing the highest level of animal welfare.

Dual-lane cutter Marel's new I-Cut 122 Portion Cutter combines the highest levels of accuracy, throughput and reliability with new, innovative software. The dual-lane I-Cut 122 has been designed for cutting boneless, non-frozen poultry products to fixed weight or uniform dimensions.

The dual-lane I-Cut 122 offers one of the highest throughputs in the market and will match future requirements for filleting line capacities. It can handle 2,000 cuts per minute per lane. On each lane, the knife angle can independently be adjusted at 45°, 60°, 75° or 90°. Different products and cutting patterns can be cut on each lane simultaneously. It provides full flexibility to cut almost all fresh poultry products required by the market. It is a value-adding portion cutter, both as a stand-alone machine and in integration with other equipment.

Pizzle crusher Jarvis Products Corporation has recently introduced the pneumatically operated Model PC-1 Pizzle Crusher for crushing sheep pizzles quickly and efficiently. Designed for operator safety and comfort, it’s also easy to operate and handle. Fast, durable and lightweight (weighs only 6 lbs/ 2.7 kg), Jarvis’ PC-1 Pizzle Crusher offers operators an additional tool for faster sheep processing.

Jarvis equipment is sold and serviced worldwide through 18 branch locations, and Jarvis’ J26 Exclusive Distributors. In addition to sheep, Jarvis also manufactures a full line of tools for beef, pork, and poultry. Its machinery is USDA and CE approved, and manufactured to exacting quality standards for years of troublefree operation.

80 | Meat Packing Journal | November~December 2016

www.meatpacking.info

p r o d uc t

ne w s

Gauges optimize packaging PCE Instruments force gauges are used around the world to test the performance of packaging materials such as cardboard, nylon strapping and reinforced tape. The results of these packaging performance tests help manufacturers make informed decisions about how to optimize packaging for transport, storage, and consumer safety. Recently, PCE Instruments improved the accuracy of its PCE-DFG series digital force gauges from ±0.2% to ±0.1%, making these package testing devices even more competitive on the international market.

PCE is a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of highquality test, control, lab and weighing equipment, offering more than 500 different measuring instruments for applications in engineering, manufacturing, food and hygiene, aerospace, and environmental industries.

Thigh deboning solution The Meyn TDS Thigh Deboning Solution M 1.0 acts as an advanced and standalone new system for poultry producers worldwide. The carousel principle enables market-leading productivity and there are three models available, with capacities ranging from 3,600 thighs per hour to 7,200 thighs per hour (or 120 thighs per minute).

“The thigh deboner is an important new addition to Meyn’s range of deboning systems”, says Jeroen Bohm, product manager for Meyn Deboning Systems. “As a precise and highly efficient automatic system it reduces labor costs by 35% relative to competitive systems, while producing thigh fillets with an outstanding level of presentation.”

The thigh deboner is suitable for fresh and matured anatomical thighs, processing both left and right thighs with no handling prior to production.

Vacuum pump e-shop The choice of the right pump has become much easier, thanks to Leybold’s new website: www.leyboldproducts.de where users can now search for the ideal pump using Pumpfinder. This feature automatically identifies the appropriate product category with a green marking, generating a list of suitable vacuum pumps. The consistently high user-friendliness allows the customer to get a quick overview of the products of different performance classes and to easily contact Leybold sales and service.

In the rapidly changing world of online sales in the B2B business, Leybold is also setting standards in the vacuum sector. "Our mission is to provide our customers with all the services related to vacuum; we pay attention to sustainable solutions which optimize operating costs," says Steffen Saur, chief marketing officer at Leybold.

www.meatpacking.info

November~December 2016 | Meat Packing Journal | 81

e v en t s

e v ent s

The world's meat industry is heading to IPPE, Atlanta in January

2016 5-7 December EAST AFRIPACK 2016 Nairobi www.fppe-ke.com

23-25 May VIV RUSSIA Moscow www.vivrussia.nl

2017

29 May - 1 June Meat Tec Milan www.ipack-ima.com

31 Jan-2 Feb IPPE Atlanta www.ippexpo.com 15-17 March VIV ASIA 2017 Bangkok www.vivasia.nl 20-23 April SLOW FOOD SHOW Stuttgart, Germany www.messe-stuttgart.de

www.meatpacking.info

06-08 July VIV TURKEY 2017 Istanbul www.vivturkey.com 19-22 September PROCESS EXPO Chicago www.myprocessing.com For more events, go to 'Events' www.meatpacking.info

November~December 2016 | Meat Packing Journal | 83

C O n tac t s

Velo Mitrovich

Rhian Owen

Editorial

Sales

Velo Mitrovich

Jim Robertson

Editor +44 1442 780 591 velo@meatpacking.info

James Chappelow

Technical Editor james@meatpacking.info

Jack Young

Head of Sales +44 1442 780 593 jim@rebymedia.com

Randolf Krings

European Sales +49 611 5324 416 randy@rebymedia.com

Jim Robertson

SUBscriptions Meat Packing Journal is a bimonthly magazine mailed every January, March, May, July, September and November. Subscriptions can be purchased for six or 12 issues. Prices for single issue subscriptions or back issues can be obtained by emailing: subscriptions@meatpacking.info One year: US$49, two year: US$89

Executive

reby media

Jack Young

Reby House

Publisher jack@rebymedia.com

Rhian Owen

Group Editor +44 1442 780 592 rhian@meatpacking.info

42 Crouchfield Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire HP1 1PA Great Britain info@rebymedia.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without the express prior written consent of the publisher.

Meat Packing Journal ISSN 2054-4677 is published bimonthly by Reby Media, 42 Crouchfield, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP1 1PA. Subscription records are maintained at Reby Media, 42 Crouchfield, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP1 1PA. Meat Packing Journal and its Editorial Board accept no responsibility for the accuracy of statements or opinion given within the Journal that is not the expressly designated opinion of the Journal or its Editorial Board. Those opinions expressed in areas other than editorial comment may not be taken as being the opinion of the Journal or its staff, and the aforementioned accept no responsibility or liability for actions that arise therefrom.

84 | Meat Packing Journal | November~December 2016

The content of Meat Packing Journal is subject to copyright. However, if you would like to obtain copies of an article for marketing purposes high-quality reprints can be supplied to your specification. Please contact the advertising team for full details of this service. Meat Packing Journal is printed at Buxton Press Ltd, Derbyshire, UK.

Editorial advisory board Meat Packing Journal is advised and guided by an editorial advisory board formed of leading professionals and researchers

Jorge Ruiz Carrascal University of Copenhagen Fred W. Pohlman University of Arkansas Ian Richardson University of Bristol Graeme Rolinson Marel

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