Meat Packing Journal, Jan~Feb 2016, vol 3 iss 1

The international magazine for the meat and poultry industry

P.42

Canadian turkey farm does all

P.16

millennials need a special touch

P.62

africa report – future power

MEAT PACKING J O U R N A L

January~February 2016 volume 3 | issue 1 ISSN 2054-4685

poulty report

2016

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C o Mmen t

Gmo meat is here

I

n what should go down as the biggest agriculture story of 2015, US officials in November cleared the way for genetically engineered Atlantic salmon to be farmed for human consumption. This is the first such approval for an animal whose DNA has been scientifically modified.

Why should we in the poultry and red meat industry care? Because rumor has it, there are at least 35 other GMO animals in the pipeline, including cows, pigs, and poultry. This could be the biggest game-changer in agriculture since mankind got tired of chasing down game on the savannah.

The company responsible for the salmon, AquaBounty, has been one I’ve been following for years, ever since I interviewed their lead scientist at the company’s research laboratory. It must have been around 2006, already the company had plowed through millions of investors’ dollars, and success was within their grasp. They could have gone after an easy USDA approval, but decided to take the high road and go after the harder to obtain US FDA approval. This would prove there was nothing harmful from eating GM salmon.

Why did they choose salmon? Unlike chickens which can hit market size in 45 days, six months for a pig - about the same for lamb - and around 18 months for cattle, it can take salmon anywhere from two to three years to reach maturity. There is a lot that can go wrong in three-years-time, and when something goes wrong in a fish pen, it tends to all goes wrong – kiss your three-year investment goodbye. But if you could bring salmon to a normal adult weight in less than nine months, you’d be so far ahead of the game in saving time and resources, your investment would pay off, even if you were he world's last great opportunity raising your salmon in land-based pens – or so they say. could well lay in the Sub-Saharan The fish they produced was essentially an Atlantic salmon with a Pacific meat markets. GDP in the last decade salmon gene for faster growth and a gene from the eel-like ocean pout that has grown by 60% and the middle promotes year-round growth, instead of slowing during winter months. Despite class by 90%. MPJ looks at the what the press and environmental groups were claiming that the fish would opportunity and the challenges that escape from sea-based pens, mate with wild stock, and create who knows what come with it. Page 62 monsters, the fish were engineered to be all sterile females. Although every ‘B’ science fiction movie shows GM animals to have never ending growth, after the initial growth spurt, AquaBounty’s salmon grow rate slowed to normal.

And, while the company’s first attempts produced some strange, strange looking fish, looking more like boxes, what they finally achieved appears pretty close to normal.

The lead scientist told me that in many ways what AquaBounty was doing, mankind had already been doing for thousands of years to everything from chickens to olive trees. All AquaBounty did was to speed up the process. Who would want to stop them?

It turns out a lot would.

In 2004 a low-budget science fiction movie came out called Frankenfish – the press and environmental groups had their nickname for AquaBounty’s salmon handed to them on a silver fish platter and the war began.

Investor money dried up, most staff left, and AquaBounty disappeared off the radar. However, hats off to them, their dream did not die, new investment money was found, and it looks like now within a year or so, you’ll be eating genetically modified salmon.

You say you won’t? The FDA says that AquaBounty’s product will not require special labeling – something the company was always willing to do just to get approval – because it is as safe as conventional farm-raised Atlantic salmon.

But, if AquaBounty now thinks the fight is over, it’s only just beginning. Already the usual suspects say they won’t be selling it such as Whole Paycheck – I mean Whole Foods. Still for all the naysayers I keep thinking of my old man. When chicken from the South first started appearing in California supermarkets, he wouldn’t buy it – how can you trust what they put in it? Oddly enough, when he lost his job and money became very tight in our household, suddenly that much cheaper chicken from Arkansas looked pretty good. If AquaBounty’s salmon is cheaper, people will buy it, just as they will any other GM modified protein source.

In most of Europe, where GM corn and soybeans are not allowed, it’s easy to say no to GM products when you have a decreasing population. But to the rest of the world? I suspect strongly that pigs, cattle, and chickens that can grow even faster while consuming less feed, will be hard to resist, no matter what label is on the package. You might not eat GM animals, but your kids and grandchildren most definitely will be.

Velo Mitrovich velo@meatpacking.info @Meat_Packing

Editor's choice

T

www.meatpacking.info

January~February 2016 | Meat Packing Journal | 3

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C ONTENT S

16

millennial beat The 'Boomers' have become yesterday's new, but the Millennials will take a whole new marketing approach

20

safety WHO pathogen report and the lastest in Campylobacter success. It's all here.

62

31

20

Poultry report This year is shaping up to break all records in the world's poultry industry.

Now if only AI can stay away

42

Hayter turkey This Canadian turkey farm does it all from raising to processing premium birds

48

31

Processing The latest in poultry processing - where ‘stats’ become food on table

56

200 million A leading Saudi processor opens new plant with 200m bird annual capacity

56 on the cover A retro cover look designed by Jack Young in honor of IPPE and the world's poultry industry

In the next issue A look at some of the latest developments in red meat. Also, Xray and grading, a country profile of Latin America, and highlights from Atlanta's IPPE

6 | Meat Packing Journal | January~February 2016

59

viv mea New VIV show to open in Abu Dhabi

62

africa report Ready or not, sub-Sahara Africa will be joining the world meat stage. Will you be ready?

Also in this issue 9 - News 12 - Marketing news 18 - World in weather 70 - Product news 72 - Directory 73 - Shows & events

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US Congress repeals cool label demand T he US house of representatives and senate have repealed the highly controversial mandatory country of origin (COOL) labeling requirement which has hung over the US meat industry for seven long years. All that is required now is for President Obama to sign the bill which he is expected to do.

While the COOL act created extreme controversy and had the potential to cost the US billions in penalities, what seems to have been forgotten by all was one of the main reasons for this bill was that US consumers wanted to know where their food was produced – and in particular, if it came from China due to its dubious food safety record.

But like an elephant in a room, China wasn’t mentioned by name then or now. Instead, the main targets became Mexico and Canada who suddenly found themselves facing a thinly disguised trade barrier which was going to lead to increased bureaucracy for their goods, drive up operating costs, and make their products seem unsafe to

the world’s largest market.

Most US major meat companies were not in favor of it, unlike northern US ranchers who compete with the Canadian cattle industry.

Before COOL, cattle could be born and raised in Canada, shipped to the States for final fattening and slaughtering, and be labeled US beef.

COOL was implemented in 2009 and it’s been downhill ever since after Canada and Mexico took the USA to the courts of World Trade Organization. In 2015 WTO ruled in favor of Canada and Mexico, with the two nations seeking around $3 billion in annual tariffs. The US House of Representatives quickly voted to repeal COOL, but it then languished in the US Senate. One of the reasons for this was, while the Senate wanted to appear standing tall against the WTO, the USA has claims against other countries at WTO so it had to support WTO decisions.

The US appealed against WTO’s decision and on 7 December, an arbitration panel of the WTO’s

Dispute Settlement Body lowered the amount to $1 billion for the two countries, with Canada receiving the lion’s share.

Before the Senate's decision, the United States Cattlemen’s Association President Danni Beer urged lawmakers and cattle producers to continue to support of COOL. “The ruling represents a reduction of approximately $2 billion from the originally submitted claims

by Canada and Mexico in the form of retaliatory tariffs against COOL. The new figure of $1.01 billion still falls short of providing an accurate representation of the actual ‘harm’ to Mexico and Canada via COOL." However, US Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts expressed confidence that a repeal measure would finally take place in the Senate. "Canada and Mexico recognize that the US House of Representatives repealed COOL for beef and pork last June, and we renew our call on the US Senate to quickly do the same in order to avoid retaliation against US exports," said Roberts in a statement.

Canada lifts ban on EU beef

A

fter nearly 20-years, the Canadian government has taken the decision to re-open Canada’s market for imports of European beef from 19 Member States.

The Canadian market has been closed to any EU beef, including deboned beef, since 1996, when Canada introduced import restrictions on meat of ruminants on the basis of BSE concerns.

The EU Comission said it was a welcome move, as EU farmers are www.meatpacking.info

going through a particularly difficult period due to weak Chinese demand and the Russian import ban.

According to the Commission, the 19 Member States that have been authorized to resume exports are: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

The European Commission said

that EU single market has delivered a high level of food safety for consumers both in the EU and abroad, based on international standards and solid science. The agriculture and food sectors must be able to capitalize on this achievement. The Commission also noted that the market opening sends an important signal to the EU’s trading partners worldwide that EU beef is safe, and that imports of EU beef should be swiftly resumed.

January~February 2016 | Meat Packing Journal | 9

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Tesco to reach Campylobacter target B

ritish supermarket giant Tesco has released new data which shows that the retailer is delivering on its commitment to further reduce the levels of Campylobacter in its fresh chicken.

Throughout 2014/15 the retailer performed well in the Food Standards Agency (FSA) year-long survey, which monitored the levels of bacteria in poultry, and was the only major supermarket to consistently have significantly lower levels of Campylobacter in its chicken compared to the industry average.

This last summer, Tesco pledged to continue to work in partnership with suppliers in order to meet a new industry leading target, set by the retailer, of at least 95 per cent of chickens to have minimal levels of

Campylobacter by 2017.

New data compiled by Tesco, has found that significant progress has already been made in recent months, with figures showing that chicken which contain Campylobacter at the highest level, has fallen to less than nine percent in the third quarter this year, compared with 15 percent recorded by the FSA for the same period in 2014.

This means that in the last year, the retailer has driven down levels of the bacteria to below the current FSA target of 10 percent and is close to meeting its 2017 goal.

Tesco’s Group Quality Director Tim Smith says: “Providing high quality and safe food for our customers is always our absolute priority. It has long been our commitment

to reduce levels of Campylobacter in our poultry and we are now seeing real progress at all stages of the supply chain, in tackling the issue through the work we have done with our suppliers.

“With over 91 percent of our chicken now testing negative for the highest levels of campylobacter, we are clearly demonstrating our commitment to tackle the issue and how we want to remain at the forefront of any developments to improve the quality and safety of our chicken.

"It is also testament to the hard work of our suppliers to tackle the issue.”

For more on what retailers and suppliers are doing in the fight against Campylobacter, see this issue’s Food & Plant Safety feature.

Consumers want food transparency

A

new study proves that improved transparency increases consumer trust in food. The US Center for Food Integrity’s (CFI) latest research, ‘A Clear View of Transparency and How it Builds Consumer Trust’, provides proof that transparency builds trust, and identifies the most effective practices for building consumer trust.

“Transparency works,” says Charlie Arnot, CFI CEO. “We have statistical data to show that increasing transparency in farming, food production and processing will increase consumer trust.”

The 2015 research focused on areas that are important to consumers: Impact of Food on Health Food Safety

Impact on the Environment Human/Labor Rights Treatment of Animals Raised for Food Business Ethics in Food Production “The survey shows an organization’s practices are most important in five of the six topic areas,” says Arnot. “Consumers want to know more about what you are actually doing in these important areas.

They also want the ability to engage by asking questions through the company website and they expect straight answers in a timely fashion.”

A company’s practices include such things as the information provided on product labels, offering engagement opportunities through company websites, making results of

10 | Meat Packing Journal | January~February 2016

third-party audits publicly available, and protecting whistleblowers.

Survey respondents were asked who they hold most responsible for transparency – food companies, farmers, grocery stores or restaurants.

“This study clearly shows consumers hold food companies most responsible for demonstrating transparency in all six areas,” says Arnot. “Even when it comes to onfarm animal care, an area one might assume people look to farmers to provide, consumers told us food companies are most responsible.

This could lead to food companies requiring more information from their suppliers and reporting more information to consumers when it comes to the treatment of animals raised for food.” www.meatpacking.info

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True to form Russia: Russia's Federal veterinary oversight service (Rosselkhoznadzor) is banning imports of poultry meat from a Turkish supplier because listeria was found in the meat. This action follows Turkey’s downing of a Russian jet bomber. As EU and USA meat suppliers know from experience, the banning of meat follows any disputes with Russia.

Ending poultry subsidies bahrain: Bahrain has ended its government subsidies on meat and poultry products as countries across the Persian Gulf scramble to deal with low global oil prices. This has sent prices up three to four times more than what they were.

Bahrain's government hopes to save $200 million a year by ending the subsidies. However, locals are angry about the price hikes.

USA approves GMO salmon A

fast-growing salmon has become the first genetically engineered animal to be approved for human consumption in the United States.

The decision, issued by the US Food and Drug Administration on 19 November, releases the salmon from two decades of regulatory limbo, while the company came close to going broke. The move was met with opposition from some environmental and food-safety groups.

But for advocates of the technology, they say that it could spur the development of other genetically engineered animals and according to some sources there are 35 in the wings, including birds and mammals.

“It opens up the possibility of harnessing this technology,” says

Alison Van Eenennaam, an animal geneticist at the University of California, Davis.

The genetically modified fish, called ‘AquAdvantage' salmon, were engineered by AquaBounty Technologies of Maynard, Massachusetts, to express higher levels of a growth hormone than wild salmon. The fish grow to full size in 18 months rather than three years.

According to proponents of the technology, these modifications mean that the fish require smaller amounts of food and other resources per kilogram of harvested fish, and that the modified salmon could ease pressure caused by heavy fishing of wild populations.

For more on this and why it’s important to the meat industry, see this month’s Editor’s Comment.

Brazil on up Brazil: Bright prospects for Brazilian poultry exports are forecast by Fausto Ferraz, CobbVantress business director for the country. "Exports gained steam in the first quarter and are likely to continue growing," he said.

"The export record of 440,000 metric tons in July shows an even better prospect for the external market. We may finish 2015 at 5 million MT exported, which would result in less poultry meat for the domestic market.”

Philippines chicken philippines: The Philippines Statistics Authority (PSA) says livestock contributed 18.45 percent of total farm production, despite a punishing El Nino which has hit agriculture. Poultry contributed 17.23 percent, with pork registering almost four percent. www.meatpacking.info

World pork prices down on last year

G

lobal pork export prices have been under continued pressure throughout 2015, according to the UK’s AHBD. Prices dropped to the lowest point of the year in April at $2.51/ kg, before picking up slightly during May and June, only to continue the downward trend in the third quarter of the year. The average price, which is based on export prices from the four major exporters (the EU, US, Canada and Brazil), fell to $2.56/ kg in August and again the following month to stand at $2.55/kg in September. In line with the rest of the monthly prices from 2015, the latest quote remains well below the corresponding time period in 2014,

currently back by $0.71/kg.

Outbreaks of disease drove the spike in prices but, as countries continued their recovery and production moved up, especially in the United States, additional pressure was placed on prices. Exports also increased, especially from the EU, with the opening of new markets into Asia offsetting the loss of the Russian market. Unit prices for Brazilian pork rose during the second quarter of 2015, before falling back again in September and October.

The continued deprecation of the Brazilian Real and the ongoing access into the Russian market led to the increase in the volume of pork exported compared to 2014.

January~February 2016 | Meat Packing Journal | 11

m a rk e t in g

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Chicken Squad wraps up award

I

t’s not every day that British Columbian chicken farmers get to share the stage with the BCAMA elite (BC Chapter of the American Marketing Association) – but that day has finally come.

The BC Chicken Squad and CREW Marketing Partners were named as finalists for the 2015 BCAMA Marketing Excellence Awards.

The Chicken Squad campaign was built to revolve around a parody action movie featuring real BC chicken farmers as the talent. All the creative took on the look and feel of promotions for an upcoming movie release [see MPJ Mar/Apr 2015].

“We are honored to have been selected as BCAMA Award Finalist, and congratulate the winners” said Cheryl Davie, manager of Strategic Initiatives at the BC Chicken Mar-

keting Board. “But we would never have made it to this caliber without the team at Crew Marketing Partners, who so effectively engaged audiences through an action packed, hair-raising story.”

To celebrate the BCAMA’s 60th anniversary, three new recognition awards were added to the line-up, including the public relations and experiential marketing campaign categories which the BC Chicken Marketing Board was nominated for.

Funding support for this project was provided, in part, by the BC Government’s Buy Local Program; delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC with funding from the BC Ministry of Agriculture.

The BC Chicken Marketing Board promotes, controls, and regulates the production and marketing of

chicken in BC. CREW Marketing Partners is a strategic marketing agency that comes alongside clients to deliver results-based solutions that are beautifully designed.

Scotland Canada to promote red meat

S

cottish food secretary Richard Lochhead has met with Canadian retailers to highlight the quality, taste and reputation of Scottish red meat. The meeting, which took place in Canada, comes as the country announced it will be removing a ban on European red meat imports. The ban was put in place in 1996 following the outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).

“The Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb labels are known as a true stamp of quality with a reputation that reaches far beyond Scotland. It was great news that the export ban to Canada was lifted and even better news that exports are expected to resume within the next few weeks in Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink,” says Lochhead.

“Getting our red meat back on shelves in Canada is massively important for the industry and a great opportunity to promote our prod-

ucts. With around 14 percent of Canadians claiming Scottish ethnicity, we have a powerful diaspora market.

That’s why I’ve been speaking with retailers and chefs today to encourage them to order Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb.”

He revealed that “high level discussions” will be held later this week in Washington to promote Scottish red meat to the US market.

Jim McLaren, chairman of Quality Meat Scotland, who also attended the Canadian meeting, said there was a “genuine appetite” for quality grass-fed hormone-free beef and

12 | Meat Packing Journal | January~February 2016

lamb in both Canada and the US. “The farming methods behind the production of Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb are very much a part of our Scottish landscape and heritage and I believe the quality of the meat we produce, coupled with the great environmental and welfare story behind the brands, places Scotland in a very strong position to develop these markets.”

McLaren also highlighted the European Protected Geographic Indication (PGI) status of Scotch Lamb and Beef, which reflects the provenance and quality of the product. www.meatpacking.info

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One month to devour 29 million Sliders

O

n 31 August, Arby's introduced Sliders, a lineup of mini sandwiches featuring five of the same high quality proteins offered on the core menu: roast beef, chicken, corned beef, ham, and jalapeno roast beef.

In one month’s time, Arby's guests responded to the mini meat marvels by purchasing 29 million of them – that's nearly 1 million Sliders per day and roughly 300 Sliders sold daily per Arby's restaurant across America. That is a ton of meat.

Literally.

The following are just a few stats proving good things come in small packages: The combined weight of all Sliders sold in September equals the weight of five Statues of Liberty.

If you were to eat one Slider per day, it would take you 79,452 years to consume the 29 million Sliders Arby's sold in September.

Arby's sold enough Sliders in September to feed the entire population of one of the world's most populous cities, Shanghai, and still have 3 million Sliders left over!

The US state with the most Roast Beef Slider orders was South Carolina.

Chicken Sliders had more action in Connecticut than any other state.

New Yorkers love their Corned Beef, and that trend continued with more Corned Beef Sliders ordered in New York than any other state.

The state with the most Ham orders was North Dakota.

Guests in New Mexico ordered more Jalapeno Roast Beef Sliders than any other state.

"Our Sliders bring the magic of Meatcraft to a smaller sandwich," said Rob Lynch, chief marketing officer and brand president of Arby's

Restaurant Group, Inc. "Sliders combine snack-sized value with the high-quality proteins we're known for and this is a winning proposition with our guests. We're selling an average of several hundred per day, per restaurant, with our current one-day record at nearly 1,500 in a single day."

Arby's plans to feature Sliders as a permanent menu item, and is even offering "Happy Hour" in participating markets, where guests can enjoy Sliders, a Small Curly Fry or Small Drink or Shake each for only $1.00.

bad for boys, healthy for girls

A

re advertisers telling us that healthy food is inherently feminine and unhealthy food is masculine, or is this some ingrained, preconceived notion from deep inside each of us?

Reporting in the journal Social Psychology, researchers at Canada’s University of Manitoba said in an article titled ‘Macho Nachos’ that while they don't have the answer, they have confirmed that people don't like it when food is packaged with messages that defy or mix gender stereotypes. www.meatpacking.info

In fact, they dislike it so much they say the food tastes worse, even when it's actually the same, reports Munchies Vice.Com. "With packaging, we expect healthy eating to be associated with femininity," said lead researcher Luke Zhu. "But what if healthy food is packaged in masculine packaging?

That’s an expectation violation."

To test this, Zhu's team turned to 93 adults to conduct several experiments, one of which involved packaging Entenmann’s mini blueberry muffins with ballerinas and the word

‘healthy’ or football players and the word ‘mega.’ They also mixed the two, producing ‘mega’ ballerinas and ‘healthy’ football players, and included gender-neutral packaging with a nondescript field and no qualifiers.

The participants liked the mixed packaging the least, even ranking it lower in taste than its otherwise identical counterparts. "For marketers, there’s a pretty clear implication that you want to frame the product consistently with the primed gender stereotype," says Zhu.

January~February 2016 | Meat Packing Journal | 13

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Stack packing sells more bacon

O

scar Mayer’s change in packaging of its thick cut bacon is proving to be a hit, with results exceeding company’s expectations with estimated sales of nearly $855 million in 2015.

About three years ago Oscar Mayer introduced its Butcher Thick Cut Bacon to a retail market. The marketing strategy was laser-focused; the processing steps and packaging distinctive and purposeful.

“With Butcher Thick Cut Bacon, we are targeting meat enthusiasts who are already buying bacon regularly,” says Crystal Van’t Hof, brand manager for Oscar Mayer Bacon.

“We’re focusing on those who not only want bacon, but want the best bacon available.”

In the bacon category, stack packed connotes a higher quality with many consumers and typically each package weighs more than the traditional one pound shinglepacked varieties. How the meat is sliced, using a blade cutting perpendicularly to the belly, and hand

stacked before packaging is intended to convey an old-school appearance to a mass-produced product.

“We wanted to present bacon in the same way you would get it from your local butcher shop. It’s an authentic, original cut for bacon that we wanted to present within our portfolio of real meats from Oscar Mayer,” says Van’t Hof.

As the name implies, the packaging of the Butcher Thick Cut Bacon was designed to resemble how bacon was purchased from throwback, traditional meat shops.

“We developed packaging that closely mimics butcher shop paper to resemble the way your grandma or grandpa would have picked up their bacon years ago,” says Van’t Hof.

...and so does bacon humor

M

onogram Foods, a leading manufacturer and distributor of meat snacks and other food products, announced that it has partnered with comedian Steve Harvey's HarCal Enterprises to create an innovative line of wholesome and hearty smoked meats headlined by a roasted bacon called Easy Bacon by Harvey Foods.

Designed to bring ease and convenience to the world's most popular meat, Easy Bacon is real bacon, cut into thick savory slices, hickory smoked and roasted to reduce the cook time and amount of grease for the consumer. Easy Bacon can be prepared from skillet to plate in less than two minutes, giving

real home cooked bacon back to a “time-constrained America”.

Easy Bacon also boasts a clean ingredient label, meaning the bacon is cured with simple ingredients like salt and hickory smoke, versus preservatives that are complicated, and hard to pronounce.

Commenting on the product debut, Monogram Foods President and co-founder Wes Jackson stated, “We are thrilled to partner with beloved comedian and Family Feud host Steve Harvey on the debut of what is certain to be a game changer in the world of bacon products.

“In 2011, we were the first to introduce bacon jerky to the consumer marketplace and today we

14 | Meat Packing Journal | January~February 2016

continue Monogram’s tradition of seeking new and innovative product lines through the introduction of the faster cooking, less mess Easy Bacon product. Through our proprietary roasting process, we are able to offer consumers a product that not only cooks in an average of two minutes versus eight to 10 minutes for traditional raw center cut bacon, but also results in an approximately 80 percent reduction in the amount of grease and unwanted smoke created during the cooking process.”

Easy Bacon by Harvey Foods went on sale in mid-October in all major retailers in the greater Atlanta area, with plans to launch nationally in the spring of 2016. www.meatpacking.info

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Marketing to a Millennial beat Say goodbye to the Boomers and Generation X, the Millennials have arrived in force and now make up a third of the world’s population. But, if you think that Millennials and their dollars are soon parted, think again. This generation has much more in common with the Silent Generation – those whose lives were shaped by the Great Depression – than anyone else. If you’re going to go after this market – and you are more than foolish if you don’t – it’s time to rethink your strategy.

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illennial is the buzz word of the moment and why not. Millennials, those born roughly between 1980 and 2000, make up about a third of the world’s population – that’s 2.43 billion people.

Aside from being the first generation which never knew a world without the Internet and Google, they are also the largest, most educated generation in history. The Millennials’ digital nativity has allowed them to span the globe, transcending country borders, oceans, and cultures. They are truly the first global generation.

While the characteristics of this generation are not completely universal—a study from PricewaterhouseCoopers, the University of Southern California and the London Business School suggests that “cultural views can trump Millennial views” in certain regions—they certainly share more in common with each other than previous generations do. That gives them a sort of global bargaining power, especially in the long term. Consider this: by 2017, the Millennials in the US alone are expected to spend $600 billion annually and $10 trillion in their lifetimes.

But if you’re a Boomer and think you know best how to market to them, it just might be time to hang

the ‘Going out of business’ sign on your front door. This generation actually has more common with older generations than they do with yours.

While look at the Millennials globally it’s hard to make a onesize-fit-all generalization, it’s much easier to do this if you’re just looking at the USA and to a large extent western Europe.

This generation’s formative years were spent during a time of a major economic crisis, just like the Silent Generation who were born from the mid-1920s through the early 1940s, grew up during and after the Great Depression but were too young to fight in World War II. While Boomers seem to think credit cards are a free pass to spend, Millennials – like the Silents – have conservative spending habits, holding more than half of their assets in cash, less than a third in equities, and 15 percent in fixed-income assets, according to Beth Ann Bovino, Standard & Poor’s US chief economist.

“Millennials are going to be making up half the workforce in just five years, they’re already the largest cohort of American workers,” says Bovino, explaining the importance of this generation to the US economy.

Bovino says that because of growing up during a period of

16 | Meat Packing Journal | January~February 2016

economic hardship and, unlike the Silent Generation, being saddled with huge student loans, Millennials tend to marry and have children late (over 30-years-old as opposed to 23), rent instead of buying a home, and prefer to live in cities instead of the suburbs so they don’t need to own a car. This could have an ultimate impact on the US economy which is highly dependent on consumption.

Just how big of problem are student loans in the USA? Around 40 million Americans have student load debt with the average loan debt being $26,000 to $29,000. With only 37 percent are making payments on time and reducing their balance, this is forcing well over a quarter of all Millennials to live with their parents. Unless the winner of the next US presidential election decides to tackle this problem and help Millennials move on with their lives, this lack of population growth will ultimately become a problem in the USA. Countries such as Germany, Japan, Singapore, Russia, and Greece are already experiencing negative or near-negative growth in population, which is why Germany was so quick to roll out the welcome mat – initially – to Syrian refugees.

While their respective Millennials might be making up the population statistics today, by starting late www.meatpacking.info

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to have children and to have fewer children than previous generations, the labor force, consumer numbers, and tax base will be shrinking throughout Europe, the USA, and in many Asian countries. Exceptions to this will be in sub-Sahara Africa, India, and Indonesia.

Generation Cynical

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nother name for this generation could easily be the Cynical. While Boomers had a habit of filing for bankruptcy immediately upon university graduation (a ploy no longer allowed by law) and Generation X was still able to experience relatively low cost education, the Millennials have been left holding the check for these excesses.

The Silent Generation benefited from the boom in industry, the Millennials are the ones who will need to find a solution to global warming. Even the bank bail outs of 2007-2009 will ultimately be paid for by the Millennials. No wonder their favorite TV shows are satirical news such as The Daily Show and The Colbert Report.

According to the Mintel Group’s report, The Millennial Impact: food shopping decisions, the Millennials product preferences, food shopping habits, and attitudes toward food www.meatpacking.info

differ greatly from previous generations and “meeting and understanding this generation’s needs will remain important to manufacturers, retailers, and marketers”. This is a bit of an understatement.

Indeed, in surveys conducted by Mintel itself, it found that almost half of older Millennials don’t trust large food manufacturers such as General Mills, PepsiCo, Kraft, etc.

Nearly 70 percent believe that food companies try too hard to be genuine, and more than 75 percent wish food companies were more transparent about how they manufacture their products.

So, how do you tap into this jaded generation?

According to Mintel, Millennials are taking a more proactive approach with their health which impacts how – and how frequently – they shop for food, product preferences and the brands they support.

“Millennials don’t want to be sold to; they want brands to form a genuine connection.

"Retailers and manufactures have many opportunities to reach Millennial shoppers because of their diverse food shopping habits and preferences. Appealing to this generation’s needs and gaining their trust will remain vital to the food industry.”

In talking with leading processors, MPJ offers the following five tips: Get away from the family size packs. Households of only one to two people do not want packs of 10 chicken thighs. Also, if you don’t have a car, you’ll want smaller, lighter packages.

While Millennials like to show off cooking skills, push valueadded to the extreme so the entire meal has already been marinated, sliced, and diced.

Ready-prepared meals need to be both healthy and tasty. Try to find natural alternative ingredients, eg, concentrated celery juice as opposed to sodium nitrates.

Remember Millennials were brought up scanning the Internet.

They can quickly scan – and reject – your ingredients.

Not only are Millennials the largest generation, they are also the most diverse. In the USA, 21% are Hispanic and one-quarter is non-white. All are willing to try new and exotic flavors.

Focus on freshness. Millennials are more likely to shop in only the fresh foods section of a supermarket and many avoid buying processed foods.

millenNial way of promoting brands 70% think it’s their responsibility to share feedback with companies after a good or bad experience with them 43% have liked more than 20 brands in Facebook 91% make their Facebook Places public 66% would look up a store after learning their friends had shopped there 29% visit a social networking site several times a day and another 26% visit at least once a day

January~February 2016 | Meat Packing Journal | 17

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bumper crop As another bumper harvest is gathered, US Midwest grain warehouses are filling up quickly. This is forcing elevators to store soybeans and corn out in the open, despite the risks, and storage facilities to turn away farmers that do not have binding contracts.

High record yields and softening exports are causing the grain supply chain to scramble for storage for a third consecutive year.

world in

Fires hurt ranchers Wildfires that have ravaged the drought-stricken Western USA in 2015 have caused millions of dollars in damage and impacted the livelihoods of American ranchers. Fires in 2015 wiped out 9,407,571 acres of grazing land and forest, that’s equivalent to the landmass of New Hampshire and Connecticut combined. These disasters also took a toll on ranchers who had to find ways to feed their cattle immediately after the fire and will impact them for years to come.

Rain brings soybeans EU wheat record Brazil increased its forecasts for what’s already expected to be a record season for soybean output and exports as farmers expand the planted area while yield prospects rise on above-average rainfall.

Growers may reap between 101.2 million to 102.8 million metric tons of the oilseed in the 20152016 season. This is slightly less than the USDA estimated earlier.

18 | Meat Packing Journal | January~February 2016

European wheat production for 2015/16 is estimated at a record 157.3 million metric tons, up 2 million from last month, and up 0.8 million tons from last year’s record. Despite early-season concerns, the summer heat and dryness did not damage the wheat crop. Welltimed rainfall along with stored winter soil moisture was beneficial in achieving above average winter grain yields. Almost all EU wheat is autumn sown. www.meatpacking.info

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weather Drought hits corn China was expecting an all-time record corn crop this year. However, output is now expected to fall 5.8 percent –the biggest decline in 15 years. This is due to drought this last summer, followed by rains late in the season which delayed the harvest and stunted plant growth. China consumes more corn than any country except the US – mostly to supply feed to its hog industry.

India buying oils Rapeseed sowing in India’s top producing regions has been delayed by weeks due to scorching heat, limiting the expansion of acreage despite prices that are nearing record highs. The delays could likely lead to India, the world’s top edible oil importing country, to increase import volumes of canola, soybean, and sunflower oils while it helps to support high rapeseed prices.

Drought then flood The strength of this year’s El Niño has decimated rainfall levels across large stretches of Ethiopia and, in a cruel twist, may also bring flooding to some areas in the coming months. More than 80 percent of Ethiopia’s population works in agriculture and this makes the country especially vulnerable to drought. The Ethiopian government announced that about 8.2 million people are in need of food assistance, up from the 4.55 million estimated in August. www.meatpacking.info

Wheat burned Wildfires in Western Australia, the country’s top crop producing state, could destroy four percent of the country’s grain output.

In November three large wildfires burned 300,000 hectares across Western Australia’s southwest region, killing four people, and forecasters are predicting that the arid and dry conditions that caused the fires are expected to extend eastward.

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un pathogen stats paint bleak picture The World Health Organization estimates of the global burden of foodborne diseases show almost 1 in 10 people – about 600 million – fall ill every year from eating contaminated food and 420 000 die as a result, with children under 5-years-old at high risk. MPJ looks at the facts

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lmost one third (30%) of all deaths from foodborne diseases are in children under the age of five years, despite the fact that they make up only nine percent of the global population. This is among the findings of WHO's "Estimates of the global burden of foodborne diseases" – the most comprehensive report to date on the impact of contaminated food on health and well-being.

The report, which estimates the burden of foodborne diseases caused by 31 agents – bacteria, viruses, parasites, toxins and chemicals – states that each year as many as 600 million, or almost 1 in 10 people in the world, fall ill after consuming contaminated food. Of these, 420,000 people die, including 125,000 children under the age of five years.

“Until now, estimates of foodborne diseases were vague and imprecise. This concealed the true human costs of contaminated food. This report sets the record straight,” says Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of WHO. “Knowing which foodborne pathogens are causing the biggest problems in which parts of the world can generate targeted action by the public, governments, and the food industry.”

While the burden of foodborne diseases is a public health concern globally, the WHO African and South-East Asia regions have the highest incidence and highest death rates, including among young children.

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“These estimates are the result of a decade of work, including input from more than 100 experts from around the world. They are conservative, and more needs to be done to improve the availability of data on the burden of foodborne diseases. But based on what we know now, it is apparent that the global burden of foodborne diseases is considerable, affecting people all over the world – particularly young children and people in low-income areas,” says Dr Kazuaki Miyagishima, Director of WHO’s Department of Food Safety and Zoonosis.

Diarrheal diseases are responsible for more than half of the global burden of foodborne diseases, causing 550 million people to fall ill and 230,000 deaths every year. Children are at particular risk of foodborne diarrheal diseases, with 220 million falling ill and 96,000 dying every year. Diarrhea is often caused by eating raw or undercooked meat, eggs, fresh produce and dairy products contaminated by norovirus, Campylobacter, nontyphoidal Salmonella and pathogenic E. coli.

Other major contributors to the global burden of foodborne diseases are typhoid fever, hepatitis A, Taenia solium (a tapeworm), and aflatoxin (produced by mold on grain that is stored inappropriately).

Certain diseases, such as those caused by non-typhoidal Salmonella, are a public health concern across all regions of the world, in highand low-income countries alike. Other diseases, such as typhoid fever, foodborne cholera, and those caused by pathogenic E. coli, are much www.meatpacking.info

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more common to low-income countries, while Campylobacter is an important pathogen in high-income countries.

The risk of foodborne diseases is most severe in low- and middle-income countries, linked to preparing food with unsafe water; poor hygiene and inadequate conditions in food production and storage; lower levels of literacy and education; and insufficient food safety legislation or implementation of such legislation.

Foodborne diseases can cause shortterm symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea (commonly referred to as food poisoning), but can also cause longer-term illnesses, such as cancer, kidney or liver failure, brain and neural disorders. These diseases may be more serious in children, pregnant women, and those who are older or have a weakened immune system. Children who survive some of the more serious foodborne diseases may suffer from delayed physical and mental development, impacting their quality of life permanently.

Food safety is a shared responsibility, says WHO. The report’s findings underscore the global threat posed by foodborne diseases and reinforce the need for governments, the food industry and individuals to do more to make food safe and prevent foodborne diseases. There remains a significant need for education and training on the prevention of foodborne diseases among food producers, suppliers, handlers and the general public. WHO is working closely with national governments to help set and implement food safety strategies and policies that will in www.meatpacking.info

Above: Campylobacter jejuni

turn have a positive impact on the safety of food in the global marketplace.

illnesses and causes

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oodborne illnesses are usually infectious or toxic in nature and caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemical substances entering the body through contaminated food or water.

Foodborne pathogens can cause severe diarrhea or debilitating infections including meningitis.

Chemical contamination can lead to acute poisoning or long-term diseases, such as cancer.

Foodborne diseases may lead to long-lasting disability and death. Examples of unsafe food include uncooked foods of animal origin, fruits and vegetables contaminated with feces, and raw shellfish containing marine biotoxins.

Bacteria: Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli are among the most common foodborne pathogens that affect millions of people annually – sometimes with severe and fatal outcomes. Symptoms are fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Examples of foods involved in outbreaks of salmonellosis are eggs, poultry and other products of animal origin. Foodborne cases with Campylobacter are mainly caused by raw milk, raw or undercooked poultry January~February 2016 | Meat Packing Journal | 21

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Viruses: Norovirus infections are characterized by nausea, explosive vomiting, watery diarrhea and abdominal pain. Hepatitis A virus can cause long-lasting liver disease and spreads typically through raw or undercooked seafood or contaminated raw produce. Infected food handlers are often the source of food contamination.

who

Parasites: Some parasites, such as fish-borne trematodes, are only transmitted through food. Others, for example tapeworms like Echinococcus spp, or Taenia solium, may infect people through food or direct contact with animals. Other parasites, such as Ascaris, Cryptosporidium, Entamoeba histolytica or Giardia, enter the food chain via water or soil and can contaminate fresh produce.

and drinking water. Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli is associated with unpasteurized milk, undercooked meat and fresh fruits and vegetables.

Listeria infection leads to unplanned abortions in pregnant women or death of newborn babies. Although disease occurrence is relatively low, listeria’s severe and sometimes fatal health consequences, particularly among infants, children and the elderly, count them among the most serious foodborne infections.

Listeria is found in unpasteurized dairy products and various ready-to-eat foods and can grow at refrigeration temperatures.

Vibrio cholerae infects people through contaminated water or food. Symptoms include abdominal pain, vomiting and profuse watery diarrhea, which may lead to severe dehydration and possibly death. Rice, vegetables, millet gruel and various types of seafood have been implicated in cholera outbreaks.

Antimicrobials, such as antibiotics, are essential to treat infections caused by bacteria.

However, their overuse and misuse in veterinary and human medicine has been linked to the emergence and spread of resistant bacteria, rendering the treatment of infectious diseases ineffective in animals and humans. Resistant bacteria enter the food chain through the animals (e.g. Salmonella through chickens).

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the main threats to modern medicine.

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Left: Dr Margret Chan , DirectorGeneral WHO

Prions: Prions, infectious agents composed of protein, are unique in that they are associated with specific forms of neurodegenerative disease.

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, or "mad cow disease") is a prion disease in cattle, associated with the variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) in humans. Consuming bovine products containing specified risk material, e.g. brain tissue, is the most likely route of transmission of the prion agent to humans.

Chemicals: Of most concern for health are naturally occurring toxins and environmental pollutants.

Naturally occurring toxins include mycotoxins, marine biotoxins, cyanogenic glycosides and toxins occurring in poisonous mushrooms. Staple foods like corn or cereals can contain high levels of mycotoxins, such as aflatoxin and ochratoxin, produced by mold on grain. A long-term exposure can affect the immune system and normal development, or cause cancer.

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are compounds that accumulate in the environment and human body. Known examples are dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which are unwanted by-products of industrial processes and waste incineration. They are found worldwide in the environment and accumulate in animal food chains. Dioxins are highly toxic and can cause reproductive and developmental problems, damage the immune system, interfere with hormones and cause cancer.

Heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and mercury cause neurological and kidney damage.

Contamination by heavy metal in food occurs mainly through pollution of the air, water and soil. www.meatpacking.info

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Q& Campylobacter A testers Governments want it, major stores such as Walmart are demanding it, and the public – fueled by the media – are outraged about it; a question & answer with two of Intertek's Campylobacter experts and what are the latest developments in controlling the pathogen

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ntertek Group plc is a multinational inspection, product testing, and certification company, with offices and testing facilities around the world. Recently in the UK it has launched an expert Campylobacter testing facility for all poultry processors and manufacturers, to support the supermarket industry, and help reduce the more than 280,000 suspected cases of Campylobacter food poisoning in the UK that happen every year.

Over the last few months, Intertek has been working with leading food manufacturer Faccenda, which supplies chickens to supermarket chains such as Asda, to deliver expert Campylobacter testing into the supply chain. Intertek says that it has increased its facilities and expertise to launch a wider testing program for the poultry industry, as it commits to tackling the most common source of food poisoning in the UK. Intertek Derby now offers a comprehensive and industry leading testing facility and staff with over 30 years poultry testing experience to support the increased demand this food poisoning threat is causing in the food industry.

For a global look at Campylobacter, Yvonne Wood, laboratory manager for Intertek UK food testing facilities, and Bonnie Larson, Intertek site manager for Canadian food testing facility, their views.

Just for background, last year all the UK media outlets ran stories on Campylobacter contamination in supermarket poultry, with

24 | Meat Packing Journal | January~February 2016

78% of Asda chicken testing positive for Campy down to 64% at Tesco’s. If the same tests were run 10-years-ago, would the results been the same, or has there an actual increase in Campylobacter problems in poultry fuelled by an increase in chicken production?

Yvonne Wood: It is impossible to say what the results would have been in 2005 as the poultry industry and emphasis from the media was not centred on Campylobacter. The concerns highlighted in the press focused more on issues like Salmonella or E.coli. Additionally the tests that exist today for Campylobacter were not carried out 10 years ago as the bacteria hadn’t been identified as a cause for concern. Now, however, Campylobacter is better understood and bio security has greatly improved. Without these steps put in place it’s possible that the situation could have been much worse. Poultry production is increasing meaning chickens are being processed a lot faster which increases the risk of cross contamination.

Bonnie Larson: The consumption of chicken has increased, so it could be assumed that the problem of Campylobacter has increased since then. Media attention has certainly helped to drive awareness as has the freedom to share information around the world within seconds via social media. It isn’t to say that Campylobacter didn’t exist 10 years ago, it’s more that it’s wasn’t the focus of the stories in the media, which then placed pressure on the governments to increase their requirements and educate the consumer. www.meatpacking.info

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What do you see as the biggest challenges the poultry industry is facing in regards to Campylobacter?

YW: Campylobacter is very difficult to eradicate at farm level, as it is a gut organism, so identifying the source can be challenging. A flock tends to become infected around the time of depopulation when the birds become stressed and release the bacteria spreading it from flock to flock. This is then the passed on at the processing plant. Improved bio security has been critical to keep birds negative, plus boot swab testing can determine which if a flock is positive or not. One possible area to encourage is to process the clean flocks prior to infected flocks to avoid cross contamination. The UK industry is doing a lot to ensure the safety of their products and it is a shared responsibility across the entire chain to take responsibility; from the farms to the consumer.

BL: There are challenges for the processing plants to manage their risk by ensuring they keep their lines and equipment clean, in order www.meatpacking.info

Above: Not a model. A child suffering from real food poisoning

to prevent cross-contamination, and enable them to track the source of any detected Campylobacter. For example, there was a serious Listeria outbreak back in 2008 when the bacteria was present within the equipment itself, in places which couldn’t be reached to be cleaned. The situation could be the same for Campylobacter. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is currently undertaking a Pathogen Reduction Initiative of the four key pathogens in meat and poultry that have the greatest impact on public health and the economy.

When you test for Campylobacter, are you looking at the farm, the processing plant or the supermarket?

YW: Intertek UK provides Campylobacter services to the poultry industry at processing plant and retail level to help reduce the threat of the bacteria reaching the consumer.

BL: Intertek Canada typically provides support at processing plant level.

January~February 2016 | Meat Packing Journal | 25

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USDA

What link do you think is the weakest in the poultry chain? [In talking to one of the lead researchers at IFR, he said consumers could do the most in removing the Campy threat, but are willing to do the least.]

Have your tests shown there to be one part of the poultry chain in particular where more effort needs to take place to remove Campylobacter?

YW: I believe there isn’t one specific part of the chain which isn’t doing all it can to reduce Campylobacter and I have to reiterate that it’s a shared responsibility. The poultry industry as a whole is working hard to reduce the risk of Campylobacter along its entire supply chain.

YW: The UK poultry industry is taking the situation very seriously with organizations like Intertek supporting these businesses as well as official agencies such as the FSA and DEFRA. I believe that the greatest opportunity for improvement lies with the consumer themselves, by increasing their awareness to correctly and safely handle fresh meat they can diminish the risk considerably. Consumers can look at implementing a number of hygiene practices which would significantly reduce the number of illnesses caused by Campylobacter. These include basic practises from ensuring that raw chicken is not washed, washing their hands after handling raw chicken and sanitising the area where raw chicken has been prepared. There are also “cook in the bag” chicken products available on the UK market today, which minimise the handling of raw chicken by consumers completely, as the chicken is contained within the bag throughout the storage and correct cooking process.

BL: I agreed that the education of the consumer is one important area to consider for Canada as well, as the sharing of knowledge in this area through basic consumer hygiene and raw meat handling practices as well as correct cooking could virtually eliminate the risk through consumption.

BL: Within the area covered by Intertek Canada, further improvements could be made at processing plants where it’s difficult to track and trace the source of Campylobacter.

What efforts can processing plants increase to reduce Campy numbers?

BL: In Canada, processing plants have to ensure that they have basic hygiene protocols in place and reinforce these. For example a routine swab testing could include the introduction of Campylobacter detection.

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intertek

YW: All poultry processing plants are taking the problem of Campylobacter extremely seriously.

UK agencies including the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Departments for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) are working with the industry by running trials to try and reduce the threat. The results of these trials are due to be published shortly and should hopefully show a reduction of Campylobacter in British poultry.

www.meatpacking.info

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safety equipment According to Burton, there are four main ways that allergens can make their way into food products:

Icicle

Icicle app provides automated allergen control Almost half of all recalls in the USA and more than half in Canada last year were caused by undeclared allergens. Allergen labelling and control has become an increasingly critical part of food safety as both consumer awareness and regulatory action related to food allergies builds. Canadian company Icicle’s food safety app now provides automated allergen control that is integrated seamlessly with the rest of your food safety program.

“Food allergies are on the rise. About 30 000 people in the USA seek emergency medical treatment every year due to food allergies, most commonly allergies to eggs, milk, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans - which make up 90% of food allergies,” says Steven Burton, developer of the Icicle food safety system.

“For a small number of food producers, allergen control is not a big issue. If your facility only produces rice, it is unlikely that allergen control is at the top of your list of priorities. But if you are a bigger plant with multiple products, or your facility handles any common allergens, the potential for contamination is especially present and dangerous to consumers and to your company.

“You can put general label warnings to protect yourselves from legal liability [May include peanuts], but that is a blunt instrument solution that limits the market in a time when consumer awareness of food allergens is growing. The more pragmatic approach for food producers is to maintain effective segregation of allergens from non-allergenic products to avoid any risks of cross-contamination and benefit from both regulatory compliance and increased market share,” he says.

www.meatpacking.info

Ingredients may contain allergens Food processors need to have a system in place to approve vendors, define their products, and flag those products that do contain allergens. This system must begin at the receiving phase.

When a product is received by a facility, you need to be able to bring up the ingredient record and know right away if there’s an allergen so you can segregate the product immediately. Icicle’s new allergen control feature does this with prominent color-coded warnings.

Formulations may inadvertently include allergens The creators of product formulations may inadvertently include a product with an allergen. To guard against this problem, Icicle provides visual warnings if a formulation contains allergens and the product is automatically flagged to notify the user that there is an allergen in the product as a result of any particular ingredient or ingredients.

Cross contamination in the facility Cross-contamination from within the facility, first and foremost, must be managed by procedures within the organization. Icicle allows users to define appropriate sanitation procedures required to avoid cross-contamination as well as to confirm and validate that the procedure has been implemented using checklist inspections. In addition, users can confirm that sanitation workflows have been completed before the next product batch is run.

Poor employee training and protocols Employees are the last issue that most manufacturers must consider when ensuring allergen controls. As a general best practice, employees should be forbidden from bringing any food onto the production floor. This is more common than you’d think, and remember that just a few sesame seeds can result in the recall of an entire batch, costing anywhere from $25 000 to $25 million.

“While facilities should consider how technology can automate processes to reduce the risk of human error, allergen training is also an important component of any allergen control program.

Icicle manages employee training by indicating which employees are trained on specific allergen prevention procedures, according to the needs to the facility,” says Burton.

January~February 2016 | Meat Packing Journal | 27

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Stops blades in milliseconds Bandsaw safety technology is providing assurance for employees in the Australian meat processing sector, while reducing lost production time and compensation claims from injuries.

Southern Meats, based at Goulburn in southern New South Wales have invested in several BladeStop bandsaws. Manager Claire Graham said four major incidents in five years involving traditional bandsaws resulted in 827 hours of lost time, and more than AUS$100,000 in worker compensation claims.

“In one incident, the employee lost partial movement in his thumb, while another required a skin graft,” Graham said.

“In contrast, the only incident on a BladeStop bandsaw resulted in a small cut on the operator’s thumb which was dealt with at our on-site medical center and the employee was back at work straight away.”

This new technology has been designed to mechanically stop the

Failure prevention US-based company CAT²’s Food Safety and Quality Management Tool (FSQM) focuses on controlling processes and preventing failures.

Using FSQM, CAT² guarantees that products meet your company’s and your customers’ standards for safety and quality; you may configure checks per your company’s HACCP, HIMP, USDA, FDA, QA, QC, and SSOP/GMP specifications.

Employees can collect weight, size, temperature, grading, and defect data on the plant floor as well as perform yield, retention, and AQL checks. Touch-screen, hand-held, or tablet computers capture this data, eliminating manual data entry and reducing

28 | Meat Packing Journal | January~February 2016

bandsaw blade within 15 milliseconds (about the fastest beat of a hummingbird) when the unit senses that a person has come in contact with the blade.

The units have been developed by Scott Automation + Robotics with funding from Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) and the Australian Meat Processor Corporation (AMPC).

Southern Meats processes 3,000-5,000 lambs per day and employes about 320 staff members, depending on the season. The majority of the meat is exported to North America as well as the European Union and Muslim countries, while domestically they process lambs for Costco Australia.

They were one of the first abattoirs in Australia to be approached

by MLA about 11 years ago to become directly involved in the research and development of BladeStop.

Graham says prior to the new technology it was hard to encourage people to learn how to operate the bandsaw.

“Nobody wants to learn a more dangerous job that can potentially cause amputation of fingers and loss of income – which can lead to added stress for those that have families. Now a lot more staff members are interested in learning the ropes on the new bandsaws.”

Southern Meats employee Fred McGregor is living testament to the potential dangers of the conventional bandsaw.

“I severed a tendon in my thumb when the blade went through the top part of my knuckle while I was cutting a sheep spine. I’m now back at work and using both types of machines, and think the new technology is amazing. It gives all of us a greater sense of confidence,” McGregor says. "You feel a lot safter....and know you'll get home to your family at the end of the day in one piece."

paperwork.

Unmanned devices, such as wireless sensors, record temperatures or transmit pH, flow, pressure, and humidity levels. Production data for formers and other processing equipment may also be monitored and recorded in the system.

Production downtime can be captured in two ways: Operators may use FSQM’s touch-screen application to manually record downtime duration and causes, or sensors may be installed in the equipment to automatically record downtime when there is a gap in productivity.

When values enter an alarm state, a page, text message, email, or scoreboard alert can be used to notify plant personnel, allowing them to proactively respond to the process, reducing failures and downtime and improving efficiency.

All data can be viewed in real time, including a failure ranking report, pre-shipment review, and compliance reports. Data can also be shown on charts and graphs enabled with SPC analysis and Six Sigma capabilities. FSQM turns plant floor data into actionable, process-improving intelligence.

“Protecting the public and providing confidence to the consumer are top priorities for CAT² software solutions,” says Vernon Smith of CAT². "Our customers span six continents and include 60 percent of the top 50 meat and poultry companies in the United States and Canada.".

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Both SonoSteam

s a f e t y

Processors use SonoSteam to reduce Campy levels Poultry giant Cargill has announced it will introduce an innovative technology, SonoSteam, at its Hereford primary chicken processing plant in the UK as part of its farm-to-fork action plan to tackle Campylobacter.

SonoSteam, a process developed by the Danish company Force Technology, uses a combination of steam and ultrasound to kill microorganisms such as Campylobacter on the skin and internal cavities of chicken. This new technology is expected to be operational at Cargill’s Hereford facility as MPJ goes to print.

Cargill is not the first UK poultry processor to use SonoSteam.

Faccenda Foods, which supplies poultry to Asda and other supermarket chains, installed the first continuous SonoSteam line.

Chris Hall, fresh chicken director for Cargill Meats Europe, says: “We have been following the development of new technologies very closely and made the commitment that we would adopt one as soon as it proved effective. We are very excited to be taking these next steps with Force Technology.”

Niels Kreb, vice president of Force Technology says: “SonoSteam has only just recently been introduced as a technological intervention against Campylobacter but has already been used to process millions of birds in the UK alone. This technology has proved itself capable of working day in and day out in a production environment and is not only cost effective but has been proven effective at reducing Campylobacter in an environmentally friendly way without chemicals, only water and a modest amount of energy. By installing this technology, Cargill has shown that they are at the front edge of innovation.”

Force Technology claims that the combination of steam and ultrasound kills bacteria within one to two seconds and the combined steam-ultrasound treatments are usually no longer than just two seconds. At such fast rates, the disinfection or decontamination with steam and ultrasound combined reaches up to 7-8 logs on non-food products and up to 2-4 logs on certain food products.

According to the Cleaning Industry Research Institute, ‘Log reduction’ is a mathematical term (as is ‘log increase) used to show the relative number of live microbes eliminated from a surface by disinfecting or cleaning. For example, a "5-log reduction" means lowering the number of microorganisms

www.meatpacking.info

by 100,000-fold, that is, if a surface has 100,000 pathogenic microbes on it; a 5-log reduction would reduce the number of microorganisms to one.

The catalyzing effect of ultrasound accelerates heat from the steam to the surface of any object and this results in an instant increase in temperatures on the surface. The decontamination or disinfection treatment is halted before heat penetrates the product and causes unwanted thermal damages.

Force Technology says that the “catalyzing” effect of ultrasound disrupts heat restricting air layers that protects the bacteria on the surface. The zone of air closest to the surface serves as a protective mantel, restricting vapor and heat exchange across the surface. This layer is often referred to as the laminar sublayer.

Ultrasound sets the air of the laminar zone in a state with intensified molecular oscillations. This result in a destruction of the protective characteristics of the laminar sublayer and hot steam can now reach microstructures and pits in the surface and secure rapid heat transfer. The continuous pumping of new steam creates a fast, substantial flux of heat to the surface structure.

The company found that microorganisms are killed more rapidly with steam-ultrasound compared to steam treatment without ultrasound. The small size of microorganisms makes them particularly sensitive to the concentrated steam treatment.

Microbe elimination happens so quickly that the depth of heat entrance into the surface of the product is kept at a minimum.

The treatment can be stopped before the surface is thermally damaged. That is why the effective processing time in a SonoSteam treatment is very short and for some applications even shorter than one second. This means that the method gently handles the decontamination of heat sensitive products, such as fresh and processed food products, where sensory changes are not acceptable.

Steve Wearne, UK Food Safety Authority’s director of policy, says: “We welcome Cargill’s introduction of SonoSteam to its Hereford plant as part of its farm to fork action plan to reduce Campylobacter on chickens.

“SonoSteam is an innovative and effective way of reducing Campylobacter levels and Cargill should be applauded for making this investment in the fight against the bug. We look forward to seeing lower levels of Campylobacter on chickens sourced from Cargill on sale in shops and supermarkets.”

January~February 2016 | Meat Packing Journal | 29

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the poultry report 2016 Shoppers might eye over the T-bone steak but at the end of the day, they go home with the chicken. Pound for pound, poultry is seen as healthier than other meats, less expensive, and comes in hundreds of value-added versions for the dinnertime table. No wonder it remains the world’s favorite protein

www.meatpacking.info

January~February 2016 | Meat Packing Journal | 31

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L

ast year MPJ described the easiest job in the world as being the person at FAO who creates growth charts for poultry. For the last 20 years it’s been the same – upwards – and this year it shows no sign of change. While avian influenza (AI) gave the world industry a beating in 2015 and it remains a threat, unlike the cattle or salmon industry which can take years to recover, knock chicken down today and it’s back on its feet tomorrow.

An old US expression is ‘chicken feed’, meaning something doesn’t cost very much.

Lately that expression is very much ringing true.

While the US western drought has played havoc with California alfalfa and hay, another bumper grain harvest was gathered in the USA – for the third year in a row. Midwest grain warehouses filled up quickly in 2015, forcing grain elevators to store soybeans and corn out in the open, despite the risks. European wheat production for 2015/16 is estimated at a record 157.3 million metric tons; up 0.8 million tons from last year’s record. Despite early-season concerns, the summer heat and dryness did not damage the wheat crop. Well-timed rainfall along with stored winter soil moisture was beneficial in achieving above average winter grain yields.

According to FAO Agricultural Outlook 2015, favorable meat to feed price ratios over the next 10 years will support production growth “particularly in industries such as poultry” which rely on intensive use of feed grains in the production process.

“A short production cycle allows the poultry sector in particular to respond quickly to improved profitability and underpinned by robust demand, production is projected to expand by 24% over the outlook period.

Consequently by 2024, 26 million metric tons of additional poultry will be produced globally, capturing more than half of additional meat production,” states the report.

short term

W

hile long term forecasts are good, what about the here and now? AI remains a major concern for the global poultry industry, with new outbreaks in most regions in the world except Australia and South America.

However, the industry is booming, according to Rabobank's latest Poultry Quarterly Q3 report, which states that despite the global AI challenge, the margin outlook for the global poultry

32 | Meat Packing Journal | January~February 2016

Right: Chicken industry is still strong.

Rabobank’s analysts say that the industry hanging in a is benefitting from “ongoing bullish market public market in fundamentals”, with balanced supply in most Sinaloa, Mexico regions, high beef prices, and low feed costs.

With China as a major exception, the industry is profitable and growing in almost all major regions in the world.

"The performance in most regions is currently improving, but the industry should have optimal biosecurity as its first priority, as avian influenza pressure is still significant. Any new case can have a big impact on regional and global trade streams, as we have seen in the past months, in which Brazil and Thailand have taken further market share in global poultry trade from the US and China," says Nan-Dirk Mulder, animal protein analyst at Rabobank.

The current worsening of economic conditions — especially in emerging markets in Asia and Latin America — has little serious negative impact on the chicken industry. Chicken is the cheapest meat protein, and consumers logically shift from more expensive proteins like beef and pork to chicken in times of economic downturn. This sort of trend is currently visible in Brazil, Thailand, Indonesia, India, and Russia.

rise in the eu

P

oultry meat production across the EU rose by 3.6 percent in the first half of the year and is set to continue to increase due to affordable feed prices, according to the latest European Commission Short Term Outlook report.

Latest figures show the largest rise to be in the EU-N13 nations, which are mostly eastern European countries that recently joined such as Poland. These countries have seen over a 10 percent jump in production. At the opposite end of the scale there was a small drop in production in Germany (-0.4%). European growth will continue in 2016 albeit at a slower pace.

EU wheat production has once again topped 300 million metric tons. With global harvests also strong, there are comfortable levels of world wheat stocks (456 million metric tons), meaning cereal prices remain under downward pressure. Protein crop supply, notably soy beans, has also continued to rise in 2015. According to the report, a good harvest internationally, coupled with lower demand from China due to the slowing of its economy, means prices will continue to be beneficial to the livestock sector.

EU poultry meat exports rose by 2 percent in the first half of 2015, and may be 3.5 percent higher by the time December’s figures are factored in, at around 1.4 million metric tons. www.meatpacking.info

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james watkins

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A striking photograph of summer wheat in Kansas

34 | Meat Packing Journal | January~February 2016

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This is due to strong demand from some Asian and African countries, including South Africa, Benin, Ghana, Saudi Arabia, and the Philippines.

As demand rises for poultry in the EU with an increase in consumption, imports have moved in with Thailand strongly increasing its sales and taking some share from Brazil. Often times poultry coming from outside the EU, Thailand in particular, is used in restaurants such as Indian takeaways where country of origin labelling is not a factor for customers.

us growth

F

rom 2015 through 2025, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) sees poultry production rising, with both broiler and turkey meats projected to expand. Production growth is expected to come from both higher numbers of birds and higher average weights at slaughter.

What will be driving this steady growth is US per capita consumption of poultry rising over the next 10 years and, in contrast to red meats, surpassing the levels of the past decade.

A problem with this future decade of higher production will be nominal prices broilers, and indeed in terms of relative dollars, prices might actually decline. However, the USDA believes production levels will slow down towards 2025, which should lead to a gain in prices.

It’s expected that US broiler exports will rise during the next 10 years. Major US export markets include China and Mexico, but US broiler exports also have been increasing to a number of other countries. Longer term gains in these markets reflect their economic growth and increasing consumer demand. International demand for broilers also remains strong because of its lower cost relative to beef and pork.

However, US poultry producers continue to face strong competition from other major exporters, particularly Brazil, and this is expected to continue.

new gains

F

or poultry companies looking at long term investments, the world is covered in chicken feathers and to find a region where poultry growth is not expected is a genuine challenge.

Brazil will continue to dominate in South America, exporting poultry throughout Latin America and the rest of the world. Being seen as politically neutral in the current East/West struggle allows Brazilian products to enter markets where American or EU products are www.meatpacking.info

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banned such as with Russia.

However, if Mexico could ever end its ongoing drug war, MPJ believes it could become the Latin American powerhouse [see below].

China should be a poultry giant [see MPJ January 2015] but chicken will always be a runner-up to pork. India, however, has the potential of becoming the chicken giant of Asia.

With a population that is expected to overtake China’s by 2022, it has no choice but finding ways to provide protein for this population.

Already new modern poultry processing plants are being installed in India to supply demand for its growing middleclass.

Indonesia remains an enigma. Why local chicken powerhouse CP Indonesia isn’t listed in the world’s top poultry producers is a mystery for the ages and in going to the company’s 2014 annual report for answers, it seems to be instead an exercise of excuses.

Indonesia has a population of 250 million, making it the world’s fourth most populous country. A growing number of it citizens (estimated to number 140 million by the next decade) are expected to reach middleclass status, with this group characterized by greater spending power, a pronounced shift from a plant-based diet to animal protein, and a growing appreciation for processed food.

Compared to similar economies in the region, Indonesia’s consumption of poultry meat per capita is one of the lowest. At the same time, about 90% of Indonesians are Muslim, whose choice of animal protein is limited to beef, mutton, poultry and seafood with poultry the most affordable. All of these conditions favor greater consumption of poultry, which leaves MPJ wondering if Indonesia’s poultry industry could be ripe for the taking. Saudi Arabia’s mammoth chicken farms and ultra-modern processing plants, producing 100 percent halal chicken, must be watching Indonesia closely.

In Africa, while Nigeria’s growing population will increase a demand for chicken, South Africa’s more stable government will allow it to become the chicken factory for Africa. However, after losing its recent poultry trade war with the USA, there is a danger that cheaper imports from the USA will stymie its local industry and setback its development.

mexico - the one to bank on

P

ity poor Mexico, so far from God, so close to America.” These oftquoted words of the late Mexican leader Porfirio Diaz often come to mind when reading about the latest horrific report from Mexico. Gangs of Mexican narcotics traffickers, January~February 2016 | Meat Packing Journal | 35

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usda

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competing for which of their products end up on American streets, have turned huge swaths of their own country into killing grounds. And, perhaps ironies of ironies, while US demands for Mexico to do something about the flood of drugs northwards makes the news, the Mexican demands for the US to do something about the flood of US-made weapons southwards somehow gets ignored.

But, despite how the media and Hollywood portrays Mexico, it’s a country of extremely hard workers who are concerned about creating a decent life for themselves and their families in trying times. When – and it is a case of ‘when’ – Mexico’s drug lords are banished forever, stand back and watch out because MPJ believes Mexico will become the Latin American poultry leader.

Mexico’s production over the next 10 years is projected to grow by 2.95 percent – among the highest poultry production rates in the world – to more than 3.9 million metric tons by 2024.

Indeed, Shelly Goldberg of Wall Street Daily believes Mexico already trumps China in the emerging market (EM) pecking order and sees Mexico as a safer, stronger, and more competitive place for investors.

Goldberg says: “Investors are increasingly concerned about the growing vulnerabilities in emerging market economies, particularly China, as they reassess the global growth outlook.

China’s equity markets plunged in June and early July, fracturing investor confidence and weighing on asset prices worldwide.

“Emerging markets typically invite volatility to your portfolio, more so than usual now.

So what else looks good in the EM world and offers return opportunities with less volatility?

Mexico.”

According to Goldberg, from a foreign trade standpoint, Mexico’s association in NAFTA 36 | Meat Packing Journal | January~February 2016

Above: Chicken feed. The world feed price should remain low thanks to bumper grain harvests in the USA and EU

(North American Free Trade Agreement) is a big advantage compared to China. This means goods exchanged between the United States and Mexico aren’t subject to the myriad barriers and tariffs imposed on goods flowing to and from China.

In looking at GDP trends, Goldberg points out that China’s growth rate has been falling steadily for almost a decade from double digits to 7 percent. Mexico’s GDP growth, on the other hand, is at a lower 3 percent but has been stable for years.

According to the US Department of Agriculture’s GAIN Report, the Mexican economy has underwhelmed in 2015. Hard-fought reforms throughout the public and private sectors have yet to completely take effect and global financial uncertainty has slowed investment and weakened confidence in future economic growth. The Mexican peso hit a record low of 17.50 pesos to the dollar on August 25, 2015, dropping 15 percent since the beginning of the year.

However, the silver lining to all of the turmoil is that Mexican products are significantly cheaper compared to foreign goods. Prices for products in the “Canasta Básica”, the price index for basic foodstuffs, have decreased four percent since the beginning of the year and appear to be headed down even further. Mexican agricultural producers are poised to take advantage of the exchange rate and export a record amount of agricultural products to the United States in 2016.

consumption

T

he Mexican 2016 broiler meat consumption forecast is a record 3.92 million metric tons, as increased production (3.16 million metric tons) and affordable prices keep broiler meat as consumers’ preferred protein. Industry sources report that the Federal Type Inspection establishments’ share of domestic production is 53.45 percent and the 2016 forecast represents the sixth-consecutive year of record consumption.

While broiler meat consumption growth slowed to almost zero during the 2012-2013 HPAI outbreaks, it has since regained the ground it lost in Mexico. Multiple private sources concur that overall consumption is growing and per capita consumption levels are on the upswing.

Although broiler meat prices will not be as low as in the past, given increasing beef prices they will continue to be the most affordable source of protein followed by pork, especially for lowmedium income consumers.. www.meatpacking.info

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poultry processor ranking It’s hard seeing anyone beating Tyson Foods to the top of the poultry producing list. Ranked by a leading business magazine as one of America’s most admired companies, Tyson Foods has that rare ability to look beyond its own borders and see the entire world as its market. Another factor seems to be the esprit de corps of its workers. Be it CEO Donnie Smith or the person working the midnight shift cleaning equipment, all wear the same work shirt with pride. With MPJ’s list of companies to watch, political or social issues will help to fuel their growth. In Europe, refugees and economic migrants are entering in a mass movement of people not seen since the Second World War. If history repeats itself, these 1st generation immigrants will provide low-cost labor not dependent on language skills and with Germany the destination of so many, companies there will benefit.

38 | Meat Packing Journal | January~February 2016

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top ten poultry processors 1 Tyson Foods, USA

1.87 billion chickens a year

Can a company be the world’s number one chicken processor and still be a respected company? It can if it’s Tyson Foods. Fortune magazine named Tyson Foods as one of "America's Most Admired Companies." The magazine compiles a list of top companies each year and last year Tyson Foods was one of six companies to make the most admired list in the Food Production category and the only meat company among them.

"To receive this type of recognition is very humbling," says Donnie Smith, president and CEO of Tyson Foods.

"It serves as a reminder to the hard working Tyson team members that they're doing important work each day – helping to bring families together around their tables with safe, affordable, quality foods.”

2 BRF, Brazil, 1.65 billion chickens a year 3 Pilgrim’s, USA, 1.5 billion chickens a year 4 JBS SA, Brazil, 985 million chickens a year 5 Wen’s Food Group, China, 715 million chickens a year 6 Industrias Bachoco, Mexico, 704 million chickens a year 7 New Hope Liuhe, China, 700 million chickens a year 8 Perdue Farms, USA, 655 million chickens a year 9 Koch Foods, USA, 625 million chickens a year 10 ACOLID, Saudi Arabia , 500 million chickens a year SOURCE: WATTagnet

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top three to watch – and why PHW Group, Germany

350 million chickens a year

The very solid PHW Group continues to enjoy growth in its core business sector of poultry and has seen its turnover increase in this sector by 4.8 percent – from around € 1.4 billion to € 1.5 billion ($1.54b – $1.65b).

Overall, sales of poultry specialties including chicken, turkey, and duck as well as convenience and sausage products have risen by 3.7 percent to 555,518 metric tons. In addition PHW Group`s international poultry businesses in Poland are doing well. Germany’s massive intake of refugees will help drive its chicken industry higher, providing low-cost labor, and consumer demand.

CP Foods, Thailand

300 million chickens a year

The Thai food producer is part of the Charoen Pokphand Group, which is Thailand's largest private company and is one of world's largest conglomerates. If there is one thing that makes this company stand out is its flexibility which allows it to move quickly into new markets. When China’s poultry export industry was hit by scandal, CP was there to make sure Japan’s McDonald’s didn’t do without. Thai companies prefer having no publicity – good or bad. This last year CP generated the absolute worst kind when reports came out about slavery onboard fishing vessels catching fish for CP’s massive shrimp farms. MPJ believes the company will start moving more into ‘safer’ land-based operations and increase its chicken output.

Prioskolye, Russia

250 million chickens a year

This Russian producer is the largest in the Federation and is in an excellent position to take advantage of the current economic sanctions being leveled against Turkey and its poultry industry. Moscow has a long history of suddenly discovering faults with the goods and services of other nations when diplomatic relations sour, as the West knows only too well with the Ukraine. This will only continue in 2016 as Moscow rattles its sabers, helping Russian companies grow by default.

40 | Meat Packing Journal | January~February 2016

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Canadian turkey farm does it all As January grips the Northern Hemisphere, it’s hard not to feel a bit of pity for those living around the Canadian/US Great Lakes. Some winters the lakes freeze so hard that ice road builders could probably put a 12lane freeway across. However, for the family who runs Hayter’s Turkey Farm, about a wind-spit away from Lake Huron, they wouldn’t be doing it anywhere else. MPJ reports

all photos: hayter's farm

42 | Meat Packing Journal | January~February 2016

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rom raising day-old turkey poults to processing birds, Hayter’s Turkey Farm has been in production for 60 years at its 3,000-plus acre Dashwood address. Located about 125 miles due west of Toronto, and 40 miles north of London, Ontario, turkey production started when Harry Hayter decided to make a move from raising beef to turkeys. The soil – scrapped away by glaciers thousands of years ago – was poor at best and with turkeys producing excellent manure, it seemed a logical move. With now the third generation of Hayters working the farm, Harry’s change of livestock has proved to be the right choice.

And indeed, this nod to Harry shows through in the company’s logo. The house in the logo is an actual home on the property where Harry himself was born, lived, and passed away.

The willow tree, once small in old photos and now large, marks the passing of time. The three turkeys represent three generations of involvement. As the fourth generation is still in school, there isn’t any concern over logo redesign – yet.

In Canada, Ontario leads in the nation in turkey production and in a listing of the top three Ontario turkey producers, Hayter’s is at number three, behind Maple Leaf Food and Butterball Canada. While Hayter’s is described by some as a small, family-run turkey farm; family run yes, but small it’s not.

“We raise turkeys in 13 barns and process them in another,” family member Dave Maguire tells MPJ. “Right now we have around 70 people working the farm, slaughtering over 5 million kg

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of turkey annually [about 12 million pounds].”

This production just isn’t for the holidays but goes on throughout the year, stabilizing Hayter’s workforce.

The barns are spacious, open-sided, and wellventilated, with the turkeys free to roam within each barn. Hayter’s turkeys are raised for a premium market which is willing to pay more for a bird which is grown in a humane manner. By raising and processing all birds on this one site, Hayter’s can ensure that the utmost care is given throughout the entire process.

Hayter’s grows the grain-fed turkeys until they reach average market size of 35 pounds, taking toms up to 16 weeks to reach this weight.

Hens go to market at 13 weeks, weighing around 18 lbs. Easter, Christmas, and Thanksgiving are still the biggest sales opportunities for fresh turkeys, but to expand and stabilize markets, further processing was introduced and there are now 21 fresh products on offer including fresh 44 | Meat Packing Journal | January~February 2016

Above: Most of the operation on the slaugher side is done by hand

turkey, and three prepared frozen turkey entrees.

The fresh products includes: turkey kabobs, minced turkey, a selection of turkey sausages – including maple, mild Italian, and honey/garlic – turkey bacon, turkey pepperoni, and various seasoned breasts roasts.

Hayter’s products are distributed at over 30 retail locations, about 15 additional grocery locations under private-label banners; and through three major foodservice suppliers across Ontario. Despite all the private-label business, 90 percent of Hayter’s daily business is for its own brand. Maguire says that the turkey products are shipped primarily throughout southern Ontario, with occasional shipment to the USA – Detroit is about 115 miles away.

“Our practice of farm-to-slaughter is not common in the poultry industry. Most farmers are contracted to larger processors. In this process, birds are confined to cages for extended periods of time and become stressed. Having the farm on site allows us to transport the birds with minimal stress to the animal.”

Hayter’s currently runs two days of slaughter production per week, with three days processing.

During peak holiday periods, they slaughter three days and process three days per week.

On the slaughter side most operation is hand cut. “We have a custom scalder and picker from Continental Poultry in Scarborough, Ontario, a Foodcraft picker, Siri gizzard peeler, and lung and vent guns from Jarvis Poultry,” says Maguire.

“For further processing we use a Mado grinder, Handtmann V-60 stuffer for sausage, GMD90 ground portioner, Multivac T700 tray sealer, Steen Drum punch, Two Maya skinners, a POSS for meat separation, and a custom boning table from Syri.”

Maguire says that he likes Multivac’s T700 because as far as food safety is concerned, it only takes a total cleaning time of one hour. It is also, he says, easy to operate with a user-friendly interactive process control system and is capable of storing 200 packaging programs.

To take care of its product labelling and coding requirements, Hayter’s uses the Posi-200 top and bottom automatic package labelling system from Koch Equipment to affix pressuresensitive labels to the top and/or bottom of flexible packages, rigid MAP trays, boxes, and other packaging.

KM Packaging Services has been a supplier to Hayter’s Farm for over five years. Initially, Hayter’s was seeking a high barrier, reliable sealing system to launch a new range of readyto-cook turkey meals in smooth-wall, uncoated aluminium foil trays which required film lidding.

The turkey farm decided to go with KM’s range of PF3 films which they feel helps their product stand out in the market place. www.meatpacking.info

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“The foil trays we are using have unique attributes: they are oven, microwave, and BBQready, as well as being reusable and recyclable,” says Maguire.

biosecurity and HACCP

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hile turkey farms throughout the USA and Canada where hit especially hard by avian flu in 2015, Hayter’s was not affected.

“We activated our biosecurity program and began scheduling deliveries of feed and other supplies ensure that all vehicles were disinfected prior to entering and exiting the farm area,” says Maguire. “We also sprayed lime on the roadways around the farm to help prohibit any growth of viruses.”

You get a feeling in communicating with Maguire that this is a person who sees that establishing procedures and protocols to prevent – and then deal with emergencies if they do arise – is the best way to maintain standards and ensure a loyal customer base.

When asked if HACCP was just a paper exercise for most farmers and processors, Maguire disagrees. “In the beginning – back around 15-years-ago – this was the case, but now it has become a routine procedure and smarter farmers have found ways to use the documentation to improve their operations,” he says. “There is a significant amount of time and effort carrying out an effective HACCP program, however, if the program is managed effectively, costly processing errors and recalls can be reduced.”

In the EU, HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) and traceability standards were supposed to be second to none, but when the horse meat scandal broke and no one could trace exactly where the meat entered the chain, the true value of the standards became apparent.

Are HACCP standards followed closer in Canada?

“The system is only as effective to the standards that the company wants to maintain,” says Maguire. “Commitment to HACCP comes from senior management. Here, recall management is tested on an annual basis and should reflect real world situations.”

What Maguire has found helpful in being HACCP compliant is a software package from Icicle in British Columbia.

“Using Icicle software as my HACCP portal allows me the ability to store all documentation in a centralized location, but still allows the flexibility for any supervisor to bring up the HACCP Plan in front of them.

“With Icicle’s cloud-based technology, QA [quality assurance] staff has the ability to recall www.meatpacking.info

Canadian turkey Annual output: Canadians consumed 147.0 million kg (Mkg) of turkey in the year 2014.

Per capita turkey consumption in 2014 was 4.1 kg.

An estimated 69.9 Mkg of turkey and turkey products were purchased at retail by Canadians in 2014.

Of that 69.9 Mkg, 51.7 Mkg of whole turkeys were purchased.

In 2014, Canadian households consumed a total of 8.5 million whole turkeys.

Annual sales of turkey parts and processed turkey products in Canadian supermarkets increased from 8.8 Mkg in 1993, to 18.2 Mkg in 2014.

Canadian Thanksgiving: At Thanksgiving 2014 (2nd Monday in October) 3.1 million whole turkeys were purchased by Canadians, equal to 37% of all whole turkeys that were sold over the year.

33% of all Canadian households (4.6 million) purchased turkey and turkey products for Thanksgiving 2014.

Christmas At Christmas 2014, 3.8 million whole turkeys were purchased by Canadians, equal to 44% of all whole turkeys that were sold over the year.

38% of Canadian households (5.3 million) purchased turkey and turkey products for Christmas 2014.

Production (2014) 154,600,000 kg – total commercial turkey production quota allocations 61,316,000 kg – quota allocations in Ontario, Canada’s turkey leader 531 registered turkey growers - 176 in Ontario Eight hatcheries 19 federally inspected slaughter plants Production (2014) Canadian total: C$396 million ($292 million) Ontario: C$165 million ($122 million)

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standard operating procedures to ensure tasks are being completed as per the written program.

In theory a worker can still just check a box, however, unlike paper records; the opportunity for the employee to review a procedure is easier with Icicle.”

This is useful for finding proper corrective action procedures, handling audits and allowing the information to be at anyone’s finger tips instantly, versus having to get the appropriate HACCP binder from the plant office, he says.

"When changes are made, the program creates the appropriate HACCP maintenance log reports, and the changes are applied instantly.

This reduces the need to print a new document, find the old document in the HACCP binders and replace the document with the most current version."

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ne thing on the horizon that Canada’s turkey and chicken farms must have a worry about and that is the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal. While it’s excellent news to Canada’s red meat industry, the Canadian Turkey Producers says small-scale Canadian farms and processors cannot compete under the deal.

Mark Davies, with the Canadian Turkey Producers, says TPP will open the door to more American imports and Canada cannot square up 46 | Meat Packing Journal | January~February 2016

Above: A recent group shot of Hayter's Farm staff

to US corporate farms. "There're plants down in the States that would process as much in a few weeks or a month than we would in a year, to put things in perspective, so we're very concerned. It will cost jobs."

The Government of Canada is providing new programs for dairy, chicken, turkey, egg and hatching egg producers as the implementation of the TPP and the Canada-European Union Trade Agreement proceeds. It claims that the TPP will actually secure new market access opportunities for Canadian dairy, poultry, and egg exports. Dairy, poultry and egg producers and processors will benefit over time from increased duty-free access to the United States and all other TPP countries.

For agriculture producers who suffer under the deal, Canada is creating an Income Guarantee Program and the Quota Value Guarantee Program which will keep producers going by providing 100 percent income protection to producers for 10 years. Income support assistance will continue on a tapered basis for an additional five years, for a total of 15 years.

While at first glance is sounds good, the typical Canadian turkey farm could expect to receive C$88,000 over a 15-year period, or slightly less than C$6,000 a year.

Maguire says that it’s too early to tell if TPP will affect Hayter’s, still, the possibility of expanding markets is promising. But right now he has winter to worry about. www.meatpacking.info

BC Chapter of American Marketing Association Award Finalist 2015

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Poultry processing

feed the growth While world agriculture departments like to champion the continuing demand for processed chicken, the actual processing where a live bird enters at one end and comes out sliced and diced at the other gets forgotten about in all the facts and figures. Yes, growth and consumption will continue to expand throughout the world, but with smaller packs, more value-added, and robotics taking the processing floor by storm.

MPJ editor Velo Mitrovich reports

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new report available commercially states that the world processed poultry meat market will be worth $289.16 billion by 2020, with a compound annual growth rate of 6.4 percent during the forecast period 2015-2020.

The report is over 100 pages long, thoroughly indexed and researched, and for a single person usage, the cost will set you back a bit more than a winter’s holiday to Hawaii. However, if you’re doing the hula in your dreams and want to keep that holiday, a cheaper way of gathering some of the same information is to just go to your local supermarket.

If you are in Europe or any major US city, what should catch your eye immediately is that there is often a choice in shopping carts, with many consumers opting for the smaller as opposed to the SUV-sized carts. And right there should be your biggest clue as to what will affect the poultry processing industry in the next 10 years: family sizes are getting smaller in the West and in South Korea, China, and Japan.

‘Mom’ isn’t going to fry up a chicken dinner for five or six; instead, she – or just as likely he – is going to cook dinner for just one or two.

“Chicken is the cheapest protein you can have; the industry is growing larger, the capacity is for birds which are 20 percent heavier; but a change is happening,” says Ulrich Nielsen, director of business solutions for Ishida Europe.

“Look at western Europe, 66 percent of families 48 | Meat Packing Journal | January~February 2016

consists of only one to two people. Whole chicken and big portion sizes are no longer relevant – consumers throw away 35 percent of their food, it’s going to waste. Instead, they want smaller packs.

“This creates a new demand – and opportunity for processors. For consistent weight size packs, it’s much more difficult and exacting to fit in two pieces at 300 grams as opposed to six pieces at 900 grams. But, gram per gram, there is more profit to be made in smaller packs,” he says.

stateside view

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hile it seems that the US market for processed chicken soon must hit a saturation point, that seems far from being the case. “There is still a cyclical nature of poultry production in the USA, but if you’re speaking of market growth, it helps to look at what’s driven the recent growing market for poultry,” says Joe Gasbarro, Prime Equipment Group President.

“In recent years, other proteins like pork and beef have been more expensive. In addition, exports have been plentiful. Also, as developing countries become more affluent, the first thing people do is eat more meat. Chicken and turkey are the low-cost proteins, so our industry is positioned perfectly to grow and feed the world.”

According to Gasbarro, that demand drives processors to produce more through more birds, higher bird weights and more factories, and www.meatpacking.info

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where new market are

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uring a recent three-day conference in China, Masahiro Watanabe, managing director of Watanabe Foodmach of Japan, said that high degrees of automation are being sought by the Chinese meat sector, including manufacturers, retailers, and food service suppliers who are seeking high efficiency levels and lower labor cost.

However, while industry focus remains on China and its potential, other countries such as www.meatpacking.info

Above: Smaller sized shopping carts are a sign Millennial family units are smaller

prime

as they grow, they must also make intelligent decisions about keeping costs in check. That involves reducing labor where possible, and always searching for ways to improve yield by getting more meat off the bird.

“As an equipment manufacturer for the poultry industry, we task our R&D engineers to find new and better ways to take cost out of processing for our customers by innovating machines that save labor and improve yields,” says Gasbarro.

“We see our customers making smart decisions throughout their operations, from feed production to grow-out to processing to sales. Processors know they need to do well in every part of their operations to be competitive.

It’s also important for export markets – particularly into China and Russia – to re-open, and there are some positive steps being made diplomatically in that area.”

Above: Joe Gasbarro, Prime Equipment Group President

Mexico and India might experience a more rapid growth in modern processing plants.

According to Ranjan Singh, senior research analyst at Allied Market Research, poultry consumption in India has witnessed substantial growth since the last decade. In the current scenario, ‘live birds’ occupies a huge market share in the Indian poultry industry; however, the trend of packaged and processed meat is gradually paving its way to the developing countries of Asia, and India is one among the fastest adopters.

“Chicken is the preferred poultry type in India and the demand is growing considerably. As per recent findings, the processed poultry market is witnessing a double digit growth in India.

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Roughly, India is the fifth largest producer of broilers. However, it has been analyzed that the demand for poultry meat is witnessing faster growth in India compared to the growth in poultry production,” says Singh.

Growing urbanization, and the rising number of the working population are the two major factors that have created time constraints among people and this consequentially leads to a growth in demand for packaged, semi cooked and ready to eat food products, says Singh.

“Considering the current consumer behavior, it has been analyzed that the customers are shifting from live poultry in India to packaged/ processed meat products, with chicken leading the demand.

“Institutional and retail customers are the key end users of processed chicken in India.

Many global players are taking strategic attempts to capture the growing target market through product awareness and advertisements.

Companies have developed specialized distribution channel to cater to the demand from institutional buyers as well as individual customers. Particularly in India, the younger generations are more inclined towards processed meat.”

50 | Meat Packing Journal | January~February 2016

Above: Rungis International Market in France.

While poultry remains kings, portion sizes are getting smaller

According to Singh, the analysis revealed by Allied Market Research clearly reflects that Asia has evolved as the most promising market for processed poultry products. It can therefore be expected that many a global food processing companies expand their production plants and supply chain in Asian countries in next five years. Innovative marketing and branding ideas along with strategies to attract new customers would be key areas of focus for the companies.

However, food safety concerns would be a challenge for the companies due to growing awareness among the customers.

nuts & Bolts

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henever MPJ visits processing plants one thing always stands out and that’s the equipment they use. A question posed to both Joe Gasbarro of Prime and Ulrich Nielsen of Ishida is: when processors modernize their plants, do they pick and choose various brands of equipment to assemble their production line, or are they looking for a turn-key operation using just one manufacturer's equipment? www.meatpacking.info

“It’s like religion; some go one way, others go another,” says Nielsen. “If a company has a long term view of their business, they’ll almost always go for processing equipment made from one manufacturer. Those with a short term view, they pick and choose.”

A problem he sees with combining various manufacturers’ equipment together on the same line is that equipment efficiency goes down.

“Modern equipment needs to be able to ‘speak’ to each other. It doesn’t matter if they’re using the same machine language or software, each manufacturer does things a bit different and I see efficiency go down to around 45 to 50 percent on lines that are made up of various makes. On lines with just one company’s equipment, you can reach an efficiency rating of 90 to 92%.”

However, as Nielsen says “it’s like religion” and Gasbarro has a different view.

“In the US in particular, processors are extremely savvy about automation, and they focus on getting the best yields and best laborsavings from every single point on their lines.

That’s where Prime has had very good success in the past 25 years – our machines improve yields and labor savings on existing lines.

“More and more, you’re also seeing the international market growing more knowledgeable about automation. A plant in Brazil may start out with all one brand, but the more they learn, the more they realize that they’re leaving money on the table by not exploring all the options available to them.

“But one thing that every processor needs is an equipment partner that understands their process, their needs, and how multiple machines can be made to work well together to optimize production and make them more money,” says Gasbarro. “We are not afraid to recommend a competitors equipment if it is a better fit for the customer.”

robotics

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ne thing that Gasbarro and Nielsen agree on fully is the growing use of robotic equipment in the processing line.

“Robotics in the meat processing line have been with us for some time; plants are now using 2nd generation robotic equipment and it’s very different to how it was 10-years-ago,” says Nielsen. “It’s much more reliable and service contracts are now at only around two to five percent of the total cost of the equipment.

Most repairs take place over the phone with the engineer bringing up online the equipment and repairing it from his own office.” www.meatpacking.info

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Above: Ulrich Nielsen, Director, Ishida Europe

What he is seeing is that customers are realizing that a huge benefit of using robotic equipment is that it fits into a much smaller space.

“We had one customer whose plant was 3,000 square meters with long belt graders. Installing Ishida robotic equipment allowed him to process the same amount of chicken in half the space, with less time spent cleaning equipment and less money spent on cooling the space.

“The money he saved by going to a smaller space alone paid for all his new equipment.

A course he could have kept the same space, installed Ishida equipment and doubled production.”

Gasbarro agrees. “Yield is king, but there will always be limits to the cost of production.

Traditionally, hand deboning has been the leader when it comes to yield. But as it gets harder and harder to staff poultry plants, automation ceases to be a choice – it’s required.

“At Prime, we don’t believe automation should compromise yield. The target for every machine we design is to meet or exceed manual results, and we consistently hit that target or we wouldn’t survive. The Prime Smart Cone Debone Line is a great example of that. We use hand labor where machines can’t be better, and machines where they can exceed hand deboning.

A well-engineered system like that can pay back its costs within a year – and everything after that is savings for a producer.

“Upping yield and removing labor not only helps processors make money, but also keeps food affordable for consumers. We take very seriously our part in helping processors feed the world.”

January~February 2016 | Meat Packing Journal | 51

CWCS-8400 Wing Segmenter

Moving forward‌ always

A better approach to parts, equipment, systems & solutions.

US Patent No. 8,517,805, US Patent No. 8,641,487, US Patent No. 8,702,480 and US Patent No. 9,078,452

At Cantrell, we are proud to help move the poultry industry forward with truly innovative equipment and solutions. Our CWCS-8400 Wing Segmenter provides ultimate versatility with accurate cuts while running at high capacity.

Capable of segmenting up to 170 wings per minute into two or three segments on a processing line or as a standalone application, the Wing Segmenter properly orients the wing at any line speed for accuracy on each individual cut.

Designed with the ability to handle varying sizes of wings, the Wing Segmenter enables processors to cut tips, flats and drummettes all at one location with simple adjustments during operation. This unique system greatly reduces water consumption by applying only a mist in strategic locations, as well as reducing

Come visit us in Hall B #7037

energy consumption with the use of only one motor in general applications.

The Wing Segmenter incorporates a shackle transport and transfer system to cut the wings uniformly, eliminating the possibility of loading error. Easy access for cleaning, combined with minimal parts usage, also greatly reduces maintenance costs.

Cantrell. Moving forward by designing and supplying innovative equipment, service, parts, systems and solutions that work for you.

1400 Bradford Street Ext. | Gainesville, GA 30501 | p: 770.536.3611 f: 770.531.0832 | 1.800.922.1232

www.cantrell.com

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poultry processing Auto-loading skinner reduces Prime Equipment Group has released its CSK-Auto poultry skinner which the company says will give processors significant labor savings with its patented skinning action. This allows the CSK-Auto the ability to skin bone-in whole legs, drums and thighs directly from the line, without a worker needed to orient product a particular way. "Our skinners are the clear industry leader, with more than 800 in operation worldwide, but our engineers are always looking for ways to make the best even better," says Prime President Joe Gasbarro. "The new CSK-Auto does just that – providing the skinning action customers need, without requiring a person to orient product before it enters the skinner." A new offset dual-head design effectively skins bone-in dark meat automatically. Chicken parts can enter the skinner in any orientation, and the patented Prime skinning heads catch and remove skin from any position. Prime says that it can be adjusted to remove different levels of fat to fine-tune yields.

170 wings a minute The Cantrell Wing Segmenter is capable of processing up to 170 wings per minute on a processing line or as a stand-alone application, and offers flexibility, accuracy and ease of use to your operation as it properly orients the wing at any line speed for accuracy on each individual cut.

According to Cantrell, the Segmenter is designed to allow simple adjustments during operation, as well as easy access for blade replacement.

The shackle transfer eliminates misfeeds. The CWCS-8400 greatly reduces energy consumption and water usage, providing optimal operating efficiency. In addition, the open design of the machine makes cleaning and access easy. Cantrell has received a US patent for the wing segmenting blade and method of use on its CWCS-8400 Wing Segmenter. This is the fourth patent Cantrell has received on the CWCS-8400.

“We’ve worked hard to research and develop our wing segmenting system,” says Tony Rice, Cantrell general manager. “We are pleased to receive the patent on the blade to correspond with our other patents on the wing segmenting system.”

www.meatpacking.info

January~February 2016 | Meat Packing Journal | 53

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Combine injecting and massaging for bigger yields

Leak detector wins awards Ishida Europe’s solution for leak detection in sealed MAP (Modified Atmosphere Packaging) food packs has won a major award for innovation.

The Ishida AirScan took the Innovation Award for Quality/Traceability at the recent Europack Euromanut CFIA exhibition in Lyon, France. The Innovation Awards celebrate the most ground-breaking equipment and services from exhibiting companies, with winners selected by an international jury of industry experts and leading journalists. Ishida says its AirScan minimizes spoilage in a wide variety of pre-packed retail food products, including fresh, cooked and cured meat, poultry, seafood, fruit, vegetables, cheese, and ready meals. It uses advanced laser technology to identify leaks of CO2 from holes as small as 0.3mm in sealed MAP packs at speeds of up to 180 packs per minute, ensuring that maximum quality can be achieved without compromising on high throughput speeds and minimum packing time. By maintaining the optimum gas fill for each pack, the leak detector provides consistent product quality. Any production problems can be identified and rectified quickly, reducing the amount of packaging that has to be scrapped, while the non-destructive testing process allows product to be re-packed.

The elimination of leaking packs also helps to minimize customer complaints and the costs of product returns, leading to a fast return on investment and helping to enhance a supplier’s reputation for quality and reliability.

54 | Meat Packing Journal | January~February 2016

GEA of Germany has developed a poultry-parts injection process that boosts yield of bone-in and skin-on products like chicken wings, drum sticks, thighs, legs and whole- or half birds, claims the company. The line solution combines controlled brine injection with massaging to optimize brine distribution and leads to a two to four percent increase in yield compared to tumbling only.

The solution also overcomes other processing challenges associated with bone-in and skin-on products as it reduces product damage like skin slip and avoids products emerging too wet from the tumbler. In addition, the processing time is shortened – thus increasing the line capacity – and waste is reduced. Key elements of the GEA solution are the GEA YieldJector followed by a short tumbling cycle of around 20 minutes, about a third of the time required when tumbling only. When injection is followed by a short massaging step, protein activation is stimulated and marinades and spices can be added. The net result is increased yield, enhanced appearances and an improvement in processing efficiency. In addition, the line also incorporates GEA MultiShaker transport and product spreading equipment at the injector infeed and outfeed, the GEA ScanMidi for postinjection massaging, the GEA ScanBrine for mixing, storing and managing brine and the GEA SuperChill brine chiller to contribute to consistent brine pick-up and quality.For rapid above-zero defrosting of frozen raw materials, an optional GEA ColdSteam T (based on the GEA ScanMidi) can be included for 100% defrosting yields and cooking yields comparable to using fresh raw materials. For heat treatment, the line can also include the GEA EasyFry in-line fryer or the GEA CookStar spiral cooker for roasting. The GEA CookStar is also designed to reduce cooking losses thanks to its innovative impingement roasting zone and therefore further boost yield. Yield is most influenced by weight loss during processing; the better the brine distribution and the lower the deviation between products, the higher the potential yield and capacities. GEA’s poultry-parts injection process adds value to processed bone-in poultry parts by boosting yield, reducing processing time and increasing line capacity. It avoids products emerging wet from the massaging process, there are no visible needle marks or bone damage from injection, and product damage like skin slip is reduced. It also reduces waste and speeds up cleaning of ovens and loaders as there is less excess brine drip.

www.meatpacking.info

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New Jarvis’ chicken hock and neck cutter Jarvis Products Corporation is now making the Model CPE pneumatically powered hock and neck cutter for chickens, ducks and game birds. The company says the CPE is the fastest and most durable chicken hock and neck cutter on the market. Constructed from tough, corrosion resistant materials for optimum hygiene and easy maintenance, the CPE doesn’t need any oil or grease for lubrication. There are no springs, meaning more tool power – all air pressure is converted into cutting force. The tool has pneumatic blade closing and opening. Normal operation is 90 psi (6.2 bar). The CPE has a 1.75 inch (44.5 millimeters) blade opening, and the overall tool length is 13.5 inches (34 centimeters). Very hard stainless steel blades require only occasional sharpening. Besides its main office in the USA, Jarvis equipment is sold and serviced worldwide through 18 Jarvis wholly owned subsidiaries, and Jarvis’ 26 exclusive distributors.

Total dark meat deboning system The Foodmate OPTI-LTD Dark Meat Deboning System is a flexible total dark meat deboning solution that can debone whole legs, thighs, or drumsticks all on the same machine, says Foodmate, processing both regular and large chickens at a speed of 100 pieces per minute. It is capable of meeting all boneless leg meat specifications while providing increased yield and higher quality of meat. “Its simple design, high capacity and excellent yields will allow more processors to upgrade their dark meat because they no longer will have to rely on skilled labor or other costly and inefficient technology,” says Foodmate USA President Scott Hazenbroek. “It will allow the process to be more efficient and profitable. The flexibility of the system allows processors to respond quickly to the changing market.” The OPTI -LTD Dark Meat Deboner can process both left and right legs at the same time, with no need to separate the legs and is easy to load. The deboner removes the meat with low bone content left in the meat and leaves the pin bone on the leg which cuts down on manual trimming. Its open design makes the OPTI -LTD easily accessible for cleaning and maintenance. The machine has an all mechanical design and is very simple, easy to maintain and keeps maintenance cost to a minimum. Foodmate US is the North American distributor for Foodmate B.V., a research-driven company in the meat and food processing industry.

www.meatpacking.info

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200 million birds!

Saudi processor opens new plant

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new 37,500 birds-perhour poultry plant created for leading Saudi Arabian food company Almarai has been developed to keep pace both with growing demand and with changing consumer preferences.

As reported in the November/December 2015 Meat Packing Journal’s country report, Saudi Arabia’s poultry industry is growing rapidly to serve the Middle East and worldwide halal market.

Almarai is a dynamic, $3.36 billion turnover food company based in the desert kingdom.

It can already boast being the world’s largest vertically-integrated dairy company and the biggest food manufacturer and distributor in the region. The company entered the poultry business in 2009 with the launch of Alyoum, its brand of premium chicken products.

“We became involved after identifying the opportunity to provide consumers with a high quality, premium poultry, which is an important part of the family food basket in Saudi Arabia,” says Larus Asgeirsson, general manager of Almarai’s poultry division. “There was also an important food security issue: a strong commitment to build local production.”

While whole birds are and will continue to 56 | Meat Packing Journal | January~February 2016

be an important part of the market, consumer demand is also driving development more in the direction of fixed weight packs of breast fillets, drumsticks, thighs, legs or wings, or combinations of different pieces. Almarai’s objective was to be able to satisfy such demand with fully sealed, fixed-weight products meeting the highest standards of hygiene and presentation.

The launch of Alyoum involved the purchase of a factory and farming site in Ha’il Province.

This factory was using processing equipment from Meyn-Ishida’s ‘alliance’ and Almarai decided to stick with Meyn Ishida, finding the integrated approach of the two companies fitted into Almarai’s own development plans.

As work progressed, the scope of the project increased and what began as a 21,000 bph (birds per hour) project escalated over a 3-year period in three phases to become a 37,000 bph facility.

The new factory, with its 200 million birds per year capacity, is now one of the largest single output poultry plants in the world.

Equipment supplied includes re-hanging and cut-up systems, deboning machinery, multihead weighers, checkweighers, tray sealers, and batching and grading systems, as well as X-ray inspection systems and metal detectors.

In addition there are scanners, strapping and trussing machines and glazing equipment and www.meatpacking.info

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All photos Almarai/ishida/meyn

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also the many associated infeed systems.

According to Almarai, the level of integration is exceptional, thanks to a single organisation being in charge of supply and installation. Live bird handling, slaughter, evisceration, chilling, cut-up, deboning, batching and grading, weighing, piece mixing, packing, labelling, and crating are all linked by, and contribute to, information exchange that enhances quality, efficiency and speed.

While some processors who take more of a short term view piecemeal their production line with equipment from various manufacturers, as each piece of processing equipment becomes more integrated into the line and robotics play a much larger role, the piecemeal approach slows production down as equipment has difficulties ‘talking’ to each other. Using a single maker is claimed to eliminate this problem.

Once plucked, eviscerated and chilled, chickens can be sent for grading and packing as whole birds or delivered to one of the plant’s three cutup systems. For the whole birds, there are separate lines for packing into bags and trays.

Special fillet lines pack chicken breasts that have been removed with the greatest precision and then X-ray inspected for bone fragments.

There are also separate packing lines for thighs, legs, wings and drumsticks. Little or nothing of the chicken is wasted, with lines also for 58 | Meat Packing Journal | January~February 2016

giblets and for feet. Other lines are devoted to producing mixtures of chicken pieces, such as drums, chops and wings, according to availability or market demand.

Most of these items can be delivered into fixed-weight trays or bags of high hygiene and appearance standards and as fresh or IQF (individually quick frozen) products. In addition, threaded through the plant are systems capable of collecting any of these parts for bulk packing.

“Meyn provided fast and efficient processing systems and machinery, as well as the expertise needed to train staff and production managers.

Ishida provided automation of the weighing and packing processes to the same advanced level,” says Asgeirsson. “The main benefit here, apart from the speed needed to keep up with the Meyn cut-up lines, was the reduction of giveaway to low levels.

“We see the new Ha’il plant as equipping us to meet demand far into the future and also of enabling us to serve the market’s movement towards poultry pieces sold in fixed weight packs.”

Asgeirsson also praises the dedication of the Ha’il workers, whose dedication and readiness to learn enabled them to adapt to the change from a 30-year old factory to possibly the most modern poultry processing plant anywhere today. www.meatpacking.info

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VIV launches UAE show As MPJ has been reporting, the Middle East – in particular Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – will be seeing a major push into poultry production over the next five years. This show should help you get on the ground floor

www.meatpacking.info

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martins

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Above: Go for the show, but be sure to give yourself time to see the desert

the show Location Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Company (ADNEC) Khaleej Al Arabi Street P.O. Box 5546 Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates Exhibition dates 15 - 17 February 2016 Monday 15 February, 09:30 - 17:30 hrs.

Tuesday 16 February, 09:30 - 17:30 hrs.

Wednesday 17 February, 09:30 - 17:30 hrs.

Getting there

By Plane Abu Dhabi international airport is served by all major international carriers. Passengers who fly Emirates to Dubai can use their ticket to take the free 60-minute shuttle into Abu Dhabi.

By Bus Abu Dhabi operates around 650 busses on over 95 service routes catering to more than 50 million passengers within the different regions of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

By Taxi Taxis are readily available from Abu Dhabi International Airport and all hotels around the capital city.

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RalfR

IV MEA 2016 takes place in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, from 15 to 17 February. It is dedicated to serving animal protein providers from the Middle East and Africa to Turkey, Iran and the countries of the Indian sub-continent.

While VIV MEA will cover all parts of the animal protein spectrum except pork, organizer VNU Exhibitions Europe states that its particular emphasis will be on the production and processing of poultry meat and eggs.

“The region wants to develop its own production of animal proteins and especially poultry in a responsible and sustainable way,” says VIV shows manager Ruwan Berculo.

“We were delighted to agree to requests from regional leaders to help in this development by adding VIV MEA as the third international hub in our portfolio of business events for the animal protein sectors, alongside VIV Asia and VIV Europe.

“Global suppliers to the animal protein sectors have also shown their support for the initiative, by making sure to book their place at the show. The available stand-space is complete sold out, meaning that there will be about 200 stands in three halls of the Abu Dhabi national exhibition center [ADNEC].”

Preliminary estimates from the organizers suggest that there will be approximately 4,000 visitors over the three days of the trade fair, with about 65% of them coming from the countries bordering the Persian Gulf along with Iran and Turkey. Another 25 percent or so are likely to be from African countries and around 10 percent from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

“Abu Dhabi is the perfect location for our new regional platform,” claims Berculo. “VIV MEA fits exactly into the policy of the Abu Dhabi government to lead the way regionally in developing sustainable agriculture. For them, being sustainable begins with using the least possible water and energy in production and processing.”

For the first time at any VIV event, executives from the region’s top companies are being invited to join a hosted buyer program.

The campaign team is visiting the largest poultry integrations in the Middle East and offering their directors a complete package of travel to attend VIV MEA with a guide to help make the trip as productive as possible.

Additionally, as at other VIV events, the showtime agenda features a VIP program for larger players from the target area and for established names from the VIV Europe/VIV Asia network.

VIV

Each of the promotional activities reaching out to animal protein producers in the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia alerts them to an exciting series of opportunities for business conversations, networking and technical updates that is coming in the United Arab Emirates early next year. As well as VIV MEA, three other major agra-food events will be held at Emirates locations on the Persian Gulf during the month of February.

multiple attractions

B

etween 15-17 February 2016, VIV MEA will be co-located at ADNEC with a world event known as the Global Forum for Innovation in Agriculture.

A renowned showcase for innovative and sustainable technologies relating to food production, GFIA works with organizations including the United Nations, the World Bank and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2016 its global edition returns to Abu Dhabi for the third consecutive year.

Then, just a few minutes away from ADNEC, a third event begins on 17 February that should www.meatpacking.info

Above: Part of Abu Dhabi's amazing skyline

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p re v ie w

also appeal to poultry producers. This is the spring conference of poultry world leaders organized in Abu Dhabi for the first time by the International Poultry Council. It will be open to VIV MEA visitors who have IPC membership.

“The line-up of Emirates occasions does not end there,” Ruwan Berculo points out. “From 21-25 February at the Dubai World Trade Center there will be the 2016 edition of Gulfood. It is now considered the world’s largest annual show on food and related hospitality products.

In 2016 it will have over 110 international pavilions as well as hundreds of stands of individual food companies. For anyone from the Middle East involved in animal protein production and processing, this important focus on food product developments is not to be missed.”

“Abu Dhabi is centrally located within the VIV MEA region and has excellent links by air, plus all the facilities needed for a modern business exhibition – the ADNEC venue even has hotels on site. The exhibition center is only 20 minutes from the international airport in Abu Dhabi and just one hour by taxi from neighboring Dubai which is famed for its shopping and nightlife.”

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The world’s last

great opportunity Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) can be one the most challenging region of the world to do business. But, in the last 10 years, SSA’s GDP has grown by 60 percent and its middle class has expanded by 90 percent – this is the fastest growth of any region in the world other than South Asia. The region’s economic and massive population growth has created strong demand for agricultural goods; it’s a market you cannot afford to ignore.

MPJ reports

I

n the early 2000s Tim Butcher, who was the African correspondent for The Daily Telegraph newspaper, had an epic idea for his employer.

Travelling by himself, he would retrace Henry Stanley’s journey in 1870 which saw a westerner crossing Africa east to west for the very first time. And to keep it interesting, the same time Butcher would follow a similar trip his mother made in 1958.

Stanley’s journey of 999 days was one of pure hell; his mother’s was one of pure delight, and for Butcher, while his trek lasted only 44 days, in too many ways it was more similar to Stanley’s than his mother’s journey.

Writing about his adventure in Blood River: A Journey to Africa’s Broken Heart (2007), he describes how much of the infrastructure that his mother enjoyed such as steamboat ferries and trains, no longer exist. And as far as personal safety went, again, his trip had more in common with Stanley’s.

While it might not be politically correct to say so, the truth is many of the 45 countries of sub-Sahara Africa are political, social, and economic disasters (excluding South Africa which will the subject of a future report). You only have to look at the events of 2015 when huge numbers of economic migrants from 62 | Meat Packing Journal | January~February 2016

SSA found the idea of crossing hundreds and thousands of miles – much across the deserts of Libya – and then trusting in God and Allah that their overcrowded, leaking boats would be found

by European coastguards in the Mediterranean Sea before they went under, was preferable to staying in their home countries.

So why is MPJ recommending for the slightest moment that you consider either exporting food or technology to this region?

While all of the above is true, so too is the fact that during the next 35-years, half of the world’s huge population growth is expected to be concentrated in nine countries, including five from Africa: Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Uganda, and the United Republic of Tanzania.

According to the UN, with the highest rate of population growth, Africa is expected to account for more than half of the world’s population growth between 2015 and 2050.

During this period, the populations of 28 African countries are projected to more than double, and by 2100, ten African countries are projected to have increased by at least a factor of five: Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Somalia, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia.

And, be sure to read this article’s www.meatpacking.info

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accompanying sidebar article by Jan van den Berg, director of African Merchant Capital, who is more than optimistic about Africa’s potential meat industry.

strong growth

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ub-Saharan Africa’s voracious appetite for imported agricultural goods is a direct result of the region’s robust growth in gross domestic product (GDP) and population. In 2014, SSA imported an estimated $48.5 billion in food and agricultural products, a value that has been growing rapidly for the last two decades, according to the US Department of Agriculture’s Gain Report.

While US exports to SSA have slowed recently (dropping from a record $3.0 billion in 2012, to $2.3 billion in 2014), several key US exports continue to thrive, laying a roadmap for future success in the region.

And, what the US has accomplished in Africa, so, too, can other countries.

In the last 10 years, SSA’s GDP has grown by 60 percent and its middle class has expanded by 90 percent. This is the fastest growth of any region in the world other than South Asia. The region’s economic growth has created strong www.meatpacking.info

demand for agricultural goods.

In the last two decades, SSA’s agricultural imports have seen rapid growth – averaging more than 13 percent annually. In 2014, total imports reached an estimated $48.5 billion, the second-highest on record. In comparison, India imported only $17.6 billion in agricultural products, despite having 300 million more people than Sub-Saharan Africa. SSA’s total agricultural imports include $11.7 billion from other countries within the region and $36.8 billion from the rest of the world.

In the last five years, growth in intra-regional trade has outpaced growth in imports outside of Sub-Saharan Africa (100 percent vs. 60 percent) In 2011, SSA’s agricultural imports slowed abruptly. Instead of the 16 percent average yearon-year growth from 1994 to 2011, year-onyear import growth averaged only two percent.

From 2013 to 2014, imports fell, as agricultural shipments decreased in both value and volume.

While difficult to attribute to any specific factor, this slowdown affected countries across the region, with annual imports declining in four of the six largest Sub-Saharan Africa markets from 2011 to 2014.

This drop, however, is just a slight dip. Most analysts believe the future remains bright for agricultural exports to SSA as the region’s January~February 2016 | Meat Packing Journal | 63

Joseph Sohm

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Cow carcass on scale being weighed at Nyongara slaughterhouse in Nairobi, Kenya, Africa

64 | Meat Packing Journal | January~February 2016

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middle class is expected to grow 90 percent by 2024, driving a 60-percent increase in food sales. This is the most positive forecast for any region of the world market, with the exception of South Asia.

Sub-Saharan Africa’s top agricultural imports are consumer-oriented products, namely prepared foods, dairy, poultry, wine/beer, and vegetables. Imports of consumer-oriented goods have grown 70 percent in the last five years and now make up more than 40 percent of the region’s total imports. Imports of intermediate products, primarily palm oil and sugar, have grown rapidly.

The United States has a broad presence in SSA, having made inroads in many top markets in the region. Fueled by soaring demand in the

region, US agricultural exports reached $2.3 billion in 2014 – a 20-percent increase over five years.

poultry imports

O

verall, consumer-oriented products have seen the highest growth in imports to SSA countries. The brightest star has been US poultry exports, led by strong demand in Angola. In 2014, Sub-Saharan Africa was the third-largest market for US poultry and has experienced 30-percent year-on-year growth for the last five years.

While some US exports have experienced

high-growth protein markets

J

an van den Berg, director of African Merchant Capital, tells MPJ that Sub-Sahara Africa [excluding South Africa for the entire report] remains a high growth region, which the IMF anticipates will grow at a rate significantly higher than developed markets.

In fact, the IMF predicts that many larger SSA economies will grow at a faster rate than Global Emerging Markets, in the period 2015-2018.

According to van den Berg, the strong forecast growth of 5.2 percent for the region is supported by the following factors: A growing middle class – According to Standard Bank middle-class households (Households that consume between $5,500 and $42,000 a year) in 11 of Sub-Saharan Africa's top economies increased 230% over the last 14 years Telco and tech revolution – Unique mobile subscribers grew by 17% CAGR from 2009 - 2014 to 329 million reaching a penetration rate of 38 percent. SSA is forecast to remain the fastest growing region globally, reaching 525 million unique subscribers by 2020; still this is only 49 percent penetration. 3G connections are forecast to grow to 52 percent of total connections by 2020, driven by Smartphones increasing from 72million in 2014 to 525 million by 2020 Increasing foreign direct investment (FDI) – forecast to reach $36 billion in 2015, up 24 percent from $29bn in 2012 according to the World Bank Regional trade – Pan-African Intra-regional FDI increased from eight percent in 2007 to 29 percent in 2013 according to Ernst & Young Democratic Progress – 30 ruling parties or leaders have been democratically removed by voters since

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1991, compared to only one peaceful transition of power from 1960-91 “Sub-Sahara Africa is a rapidly developing region with a population of over 973 million people in 2014 which is projected to grow by 2.3% per annum to approach 2.2 billion by 2050,” says van den Berg.

“Urban food markets are set to increase fourfold to exceed $400 billion by 2030. Consumption of livestock products is also expected to double by 2030 with significant implications for agricultural production in order to meet food demands with the typical African household allocates more than 40 percent of its budget to food products. This translated into the sector being worth $443billion in 2012, exceeding the size of any other sector.”

Agriculture accounted for 14 percent of GDP in SubSahara Africa in 2014 with a number of countries such as Malawi, Tanzania, and Mozambique and others heavily dependent on agriculture. Agriculture and agribusiness industries together are projected to reach $1 trillion in 2030 compared to $313 billion in 2010 in sub-Saharan Africa, at a compound annual growth rate of six percent due to increased population forecasts and productivity increases.

“As economic development progresses, per capita income increases and poverty levels reduce, households start diversifying their diet to eat more protein. Consumers are not only consuming staples such as rice, maize and millet, (cheapest source of calories), but also more expensive, quality products containing more protein or vitamins (including livestock products). Growing demand for food and high value agricultural products such as meat and dairy are setting the stage for continued investment opportunities in the sector,” says van den Berg.

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success in SSA, the overall US market share has been shrinking, down from 15 percent to just 5 percent over the last two decades. When the growth in SSA’s agricultural imports began to slow in 2011, US exports to the region dropped by 23 percent. During this same time period, imports from the EU and Thailand grew by 13 percent and 11 percent, respectively.

While a portion of the US decline in can be attributed to economic factors such as exchange rates and falling commodity prices, increased competition from intra-regional trade presents the biggest challenge for US exporters.

Continental Africa has seen a renewed movement towards stronger intra-regional trade.

For example, the major regional trading blocs – the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the East African Community (EAC), and the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) – launched a Tripartite Free Trade Area in 2015.

Recent trade data already reflect increased intra-regional trade. As agricultural shipments from outside SSA remained virtually unchanged from 2011 to 2014, intra-regional trade continued to grow. In particular, South Africa and Zimbabwe have been successful in marketing prepared foods, fruits and vegetables, and poultry to other SSA countries. These exports compete directly with US exports.

In addition to intra-regional competition, the developing economies of Thailand, India, Malaysia, and Indonesia have also become major exporters to SSA. Together, these four countries account for more than 30 percent of all external agricultural exports to Sub-Saharan Africa.

Lastly, the EU and Brazil are also significant US competitors in Sub-Saharan Africa. With shipments worth $11.7 billion in 2014, the EU accounted for roughly a quarter of the region’s agricultural imports, dominated by consumeroriented goods including prepared foods ($1.9 billion), dairy products ($1.5 billion), and poultry ($800 million). But like the United States, the EU has also seen its market share slip – from roughly 50 percent in 2004 to just over 25 percent in 2014.

processing gear imports

W

hile much of Africa is seen as a potential market for poultry imports, most countries in the region are beginning to modernize their poultry production. According to Marel Stork which is active in the Africa, various markets in West, Central and East Africa are moving from traditional wet markets to a more industrial way of processing poultry.

66 | Meat Packing Journal | January~February 2016

Reasons for the growth in these emerging markets can be found in a growing, young population and ongoing urbanization. There is a stronger middle class with less time and more money to spend. Consumers are more demanding and look for safe food. Retail chains (like Shoprite) are gaining ground.

Several international quick service restaurants such as KFC and McDonald’s are present in SSA. These companies look for high quality, stable production. Food safety, production yields, and product diversity are becoming more important.

Besides whole products, various fresh and frozen parts are becoming more popular, especially for supply to caterers and restaurants. Governments encourage local industrial production thereby creating jobs, stimulating the local economy and offering an affordable source of high quality proteins. The infrastructure improves and cold chains become more effective.

Some recent projects of Marel Stork include: Gambia – Empas Poultry, Greenfield 1,000 bph.

Ghana – Aglow Farms, Greenfield 1,000 bph.

Nigeria – Zartech, 4,000 bph.Nigeria, Sayed Farms, Greenfield 2,000 bph.

Zambia – Mattaniah, Greenfield 2,000 bph.

not all the same

S

ub-Saharan Africa is not a monolithic import market. Each of the 45 countries in the region presents a unique set of import demands and challenges. Six countries account for about half of all agricultural imports in the region. The following are examples of export opportunities in these top markets: South Africa, Nigeria, Angola, Benin, Ghana, and Kenya.

Nigeria: Nigeria’s agricultural imports have increased nearly twice as fast as South Africa’s over the last five years (52 percent vs. 27 percent), reaching $5.8 billion in 2014. Based on current trends, Nigeria will overtake South Africa as the largest importer in Sub-Saharan Africa, mainly due to its growing market for consumeroriented goods. While Nigeria’s imports of bulk commodities (mainly wheat and rice) fluctuate greatly, the steadily growing demand for consumer-oriented goods bodes well for U.S. exporters. Dairy, prepared foods, wine and beer, and condiments and sauces all have growth potential.

Angola: Despite the Angolan government’s declarations that the country relies too heavily on foreign agricultural imports, 2014 was a record year for agricultural imports, totaling $4.1 billion. The United States is already the largest poultry exporter to Angola, with 55 percent of the market and a reputation for high-quality www.meatpacking.info

Muriel Lasure

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meat. The majority of current US poultry exports are frozen cut chicken, leaving room for increased exports of frozen cut turkey, which could help offset decreasing demand in East Asia. In addition, there is potential for increased US exports of beef variety meats, wine and beer, prepared foods, dairy products, and pork products. The United States’ largest competitor is the EU, which accounts for 40 percent of the Angolan import market.

Benin: Benin serves as a strategic transshipment point to the larger landlocked West African nations of Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Chad, making it a unique importer. For example, exporters reported $2.2 billion in agricultural exports to Benin in 2014, but Benin itself only reported imports of $426 million, meaning about $1.7 billion in goods was trans-shipped to other countries.

Ghana: Ghana is a promising new market for U.S. exporters. In 2014, US exports accounted for only seven percent of Ghana’s $1.8 billion in agricultural imports. The United States is already www.meatpacking.info

Above: Buying meat at a market, Madagascar.

the largest poultry exporter to Ghana, having wrested market share away from the EU and Brazil. In 2014, US poultry exports set a record at $68 million and accounted for 36 percent of Brazil’s total $188 million poultry market.

Ghana’s steady economic growth has fueled new demand among the rising middle class for consumer-oriented products, including poultry, beef, dairy, and prepared foods.

Sub-Saharan Africa is a diverse, challenging market, where soaring economic growth has fanned an equally strong demand for imported agricultural products.

What is amazing is, despite all that SSA suffers from, it still has a strong economic outlook, a growing middle class, and increased demand for consumer-oriented products, all indicating that Sub-Saharan Africa will continue as one of the fastest growing import regions for food products. If only the people of Africa could get the political institutions they deserve, the continent would become the world’s economic power.

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Gambian processor

wants self-sufficiency

all images: marel stork

The first professional poultry processor has opened in The Gambia, a joint effort between local Empas Poultry and Marel Stork

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at what you grow; buy local,” says Edriss Mass Jobe, empas Poultry’s founder and general manager. Local food production and employment is exactly what the Empas’ greenfield poultry project is all about with long-term support from Marel Stork. Recently, this first professional poultry processing plant in The Gambia was officially inaugurated.

The Gambia is a relatively small West African country with a population of just 2 million people. The Empas poultry processing plant is located near Banjul, the country's capital, and the popular tourist coastal cities of Serrekunda and Bakau.

The entire Empas set-up includes a parent farm, hatchery, breeders, feed mill, and a processing plant which is equipped with Marel

68 | Meat Packing Journal | January~February 2016

Above: (Left ) Edrissa Mass Jobe, Executive Chairman EM Holding, (Right) Ruud Berkers, Marel Stork Area Sales Manager

Stork systems. All facilities are newly built, which has resulted in the country's first professional, modern processing plant.

The EM Holding umbrella company is a social enterprise focusing on local food production and the employment of young people. "We need to be self-sufficient. If you consume food that you don't produce, you're entangled in a vicious cycle of poverty," says Edrissa Jobe.

Empas' aim, he says, is to avoid imports in The Gambia by ensuring a plentiful local production of chicken. To Edrissa Jobe the only solution to poor nutrition and food insecurity is expanding national food production All systems in Empas' greenfield plant, which has a capacity of 1,000 bph (17 bpm), and is prepared for 2,000 bph (34 bpm), have been supplied by Marel Stork: from the semiautomatic first stages to cut-up equipment.

Starting with the live bird handling crates, www.meatpacking.info

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the broilers are hung in the shackles and pass through the water bath stunner, the automatic killing line – which is halal certified – the scalder and the plucker. The next step, evisceration, is handled semi-automatically, after which the spin chiller does its job. Marel Stork equipment is also used for automatic by-product handling, like offal processing. To avoid pollution, Empas uses a separator to extract waste from the water.

Above and Right: Employees at the new Empas processing plant in The Gambia

fitting the market

S

ince 2010 Marel Stork has been working with Empas to develop the process from plan to execution. Area Sales Manager Ruud Berkers says: "We never deliver our equipment just like that. It is above all the added value we created, by offering our advice and support before, during and after installation. Good and reliable service is always of key importance.

“During those five years, we supported the entire roadmap with all of our knowledge and our 'think global, act local' approach.

Our project manager has put great effort into assisting Empas in executing the process, taking every possible scenario into consideration.

“Together with Empas, we could clearly define what kind of customized solutions and equipment would be best suited to the market.

Focusing on the unique individual situation, we could determine the right combination of systems. This also meant keeping costs of ownership and maintenance costs as efficient as possible." www.meatpacking.info

The inauguration of the plant was a “big happening”, with Vice President of The Gambia Dr Isatou Njie Saidy giving a speech in the presence of all ministers of the cabinet. National musicians and dancers performed at the premises of Empas, while the assembled national press broadcasted the event live on Gambia Television.

During the ceremony, Ruud Berkers presented a symbolic metal chicken to General Manager Edrissa Mass Jobe on behalf of Marel Stork Poultry Processing.

The end products of Empas Poultry are fresh as well as frozen chicken meat products with the brand name Moggie. They are distributed in the retail market, via supermarkets and restaurants.

As the owner of most of the gas stations in The Gambia, Edrissa Jobe is using another smart way of distributing Empas' products: in every Elton gas station shop you'll find a refrigerator with Moggie chicken products, as well as a door sticker 'Moggie sold here'.

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P r o duc t s

Product news Speedy listeria test The AOAC Research Institute recently certified the DuPont BAX System Real-Time PCR Assay for L. monocytogenes as a Performance Tested Method.

DuPont says the method allows for the detection of Listeria monocytogenes from environmental samples in about 22 hours, one of the fastest timeto-results available for the pathogen.

“The additional time savings of about four hours associated with using the BAX System real-time PCR assay for L. monocytogenes and Actero Listeria Enrichment Media together provides benefits to end users that can ripple through the manufacturing process, including reduced labor costs and faster product releases,” says Shannon Bullard, diagnostics global product manager, DuPont Nutrition & Health.

90 second analyzer CEM Corporation’s Smart-6 ProFat Meat Analyzer offers a better way to determine the moisture, fat, and protein content of your raw or pre-blend samples, according to the company. Based on the Smart-6 Moisture/Solids Analyzer with rapid iDri technology, the ProFat can quickly and accurately provide moisture, fat, and protein in less than 90 seconds. By using AOAC official method 2008.06, accurate results you can count on are available every time without costly calibrations. Use the ProFat to make blend corrections, release materials, and ensure least cost formulation. With an available IP65 compliance option, the SMART 6 ProFat can be used either at-line or in the lab to analyze your entire process.

Processor saves $180k A Utah cattle slaughterhouse was suffering from $300,000 in annual surcharges for wastewater it was sending to a municipal treatment plant with almost no pre-treatment in house. Very high TSS (in the thousands), high organic loading, and fibrous paunch material made traditional filtration impractical for solids reduction.

Dow’s Tequatic Plus filter was piloted to reduce TSS prior to discharge. The filter was able to handle the high TSS and paunch material, successfully reducing TSS by 75%. With the Tequatic Plus filter, the plant has found a relatively simple, one-step method of potentially reducing their surcharge by any expected 60% or $180,000 annually, says Dow. Now, with the B-Series Skid, there is the added convenience of fast “out of the box" installation and startup.

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P r o duc t s

Total control software The CSB-System software allows meat and poultry companies to control all processes of the valueadded chain in an integrated way and to optimize them – from breeding via slaughter and the different meat processing and refining stages up to sales, says the international company. New features include seamless traceability of products and components, as well as for a secure standard-compliant quality management. Other key aspects include integrated recipe optimization, IT-controlled cutting planning, and cutting optimization.

With the CSB-System, any business and quality data can be captured directly during the process and this enables information quality to be improved and information processing accelerated.

Game-changing film UK-based KM has developed Klarity as a flagship product to extend its existing range of PF3 films. KM Klarity offers a “game changing” superior antifog performance even through the temperature variations that can occur during distribution and retail. This new solution also maintains the KM reputation for excellent sealing qualities on uncoated smooth walled aluminum foil trays. Klarity is initially being offered in 62 microns with barrier; extended shelf life; and non-barrier versions available. Both printing and laser perforation options can be selected. This exceptional new film offers the food industry excellent optics and clarity allowing the consumer to view and choose prepared food with ease, says KM.

Lower cost mixers Admix says the new design of its Rotomixx mixer will save customers money and reduce lead time thanks to major product enhancements. The new modular gear drive accommodates larger motors than the previous design, and is available in several speed ratios which optimize mixer sizing for better process results. Its frame has a new modular gear drive assembly that attaches directly to the Rotomixx direct-drive bearing frame, which supports longer shafts and higher torque loads.

“The Rotomixx design change will enable Admix to lower its manufacturing costs and pass those savings on to our customers. Our lead times are now substantially reduced and we are able to fill orders much quicker, often within one business week,” says Keith Cheries of Admix.

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D ire c t o ry

Directory Accles & Shelvoke

Jarvis Products Corporation

Stork Poultry Processing

Services: Slaughter and stunning Species: Poultry, Pork, Red Meat Region: Worldwide Web: www.acclesandshelvoke.co.uk Tel: +44 (0) 121 313 4567 Email: info@acclesandshelvoke.co.uk

Services: Processing, Slaughter Species: Pork, Red Meat Region: Worldwide Web: www.jarvisproducts.com Tel: +1 860 347 7271 Email: sales@jarvisproducts.com

Banss America

MPS meat processing systems

Services: Food safety and hygiene, Logistics and handling, Processing, Slaughter Species: Pork, Red Meat Region: North America Web: www.banssamerica.com Tel: +1 407 930 3554 Email: gpolitis@banss.de

Services: Slaughter, Processing, Further processing, Weighing and portioning,, Waste treatment, logistics Species: Pork, Red Meat, Region: Worldwide Web: www.mps-group.nl Tel: +31 544 390500 Email: info@mps-group.nl

Services: Further Processing, IT solutions, Labeling and packaging, Logistics and handling, Other services, Processing, Refrigeration, Slaughter, Weighing and portioning Species: Poultry Region: Worldwide Web: www.marel.com/poultry Tel: +31 (0) 485 586 111 Email: info.poultry@marel.com

Dohmeyer Services: Cooling and refrigeration; further processing Species: Pork, Poultry, Red meat, Other Region: Worldwide Web: www.dohmeyer.com Tel: +48 17 788 98 17 Email: info@dohmeyer.com

Multisorb

FRC Systems International

Prime Equipment Group

Services: Waste management Species: Poultry, Pork, Red Meat Region: Worldwide Web: www.frcsystems.com Tel: +1 770 534 3681 Email: info@frcsystems.com

Services: Processing, Slaughter Species: Poultry, Red Meat Region: Worldwide Web: www.primeequipmentgroup.com Tel: +1 614 253 8590 Fax: +1 614 253 6966 Email: Sales@PrimeEquipmentGroup.com

Handtmann

Services: Packaging Species: Poultry, Pork, Red Meat Region: Worldwide Web: www.multisorb.com Tel: +1 716 824 8900 Email: info@multisorb.com

Services: Processing, Further processing, Weighing and portioning Species: Poultry, Pork, Red Meat Region: Worldwide Web: www.handtmann.de Tel: +49 7351 45 0 Email: info.machines@handtmann.de

Provisur Technologies

Hyde Industrial Blade Solutions

Reiser

Services: Further Processing, Processing, Slaughter Species: Poultry, Pork, Red Meat Region: Worldwide Web: www.hydeblades.com Tel: +1 (508) 764-4344 Email: sales@hydeblades.com

Services: Further Processing, Labeling and packaging, Processing Species: Poultry, Pork, Red Meat Region: Europe, North America Web: www.reiser.com Tel: +1 614 253 8590 Email: sales@reiser.com

Services: Further Processing, Processing Species: Poultry, Pork, Red Meat Region: Worldwide Web: www.provisur.com Tel: +1 312 204 6042 Email: info@provisur.com

Scott Technology Services: Further Processing, Logistics and handling, Processing, Refrigeration Species: Red Meat Region: Worldwide Web: www.scott.co.nz Tel: +1 614 253 8590 Email: sales@scott.co.nz

Get your company listed in print and online

sales@meatpacking.info

72 | Meat Packing Journal | January~February 2016

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e v en t s

2016 15-16 March Midwest Poultry Convention Saint Paul, USA www.midwestpoultry.com 23-25 March ILDEX Saigon, Vietnam www.ildex.com.vn 18-20 April FOODEX Birmingham, UK www.foodex.co.uk 7-12 May IFFA GERMANY FRANKFURT www.iffa.messefrankfurt.com 10-11 May BRITISH PIG & POULTRY Stoneleigh Park, UK www.pigandpoultry.org.uk 17-20 May EXPO PACK MEXICO Mexico City www.expopack.com.mx 6-8 September VIV CHINA 2016 Beijing www.vivchina.nl 8-9 November WORLD MEAT CONGRESS Punta del Este, Uruguay www.worldmeatcongress2016.com 8-9 November MEAT CHINA 2016 Shanghai www.fhcchina.com 15-17 March 2017 VIV ASIA 2017 Bangkok www.vivasia.nl

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January~February 2016 | Meat Packing Journal | 73

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

Head of Sales +44 1442 780 593 jim@meatpacking.info

Josh Henderson

Accounts Manager +44 1442 780 594 josh@meatpacking.info

Executive

reby media

Jack Young

Reby House

Publisher jack@meatpacking.info

Rhian Owen

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

Jack Young

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.

74 | Meat Packing Journal | January~February 2016

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

Europe One year: â‚Ź119, two year: â‚Ź199 North America One year: $169, two year: $279 Rest of the world One year: $199, two year: $299 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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Innovations to MEAT your needs

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