Vol 1~Iss 4, Meat Packing Journal, September~October 2014

The international magazine for the meat and poultry industry

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VISIT TO BELGIUM'S MEGA PLANT

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Asia drives a lamb renaissance

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HOW MEAT SPOILS & HOW TO SLOW IT

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Meat and health

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Editor's choice

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he veviba mega plant in Belgium is truly a marvel. The scale of the plant is breath taking and the automation employed to manage the 50,000 orders processed every day is a stand out example of modern processing.

Belgium's true blue, page 12-19

www.meatpacking.info

hen news is slow elsewhere, it seems the wider media drag up some crack pot idea or dubious exposĂŠ to attack the meat industry. If its not attacking the industry for harming animals (ignoring the massive and continuous progress made to make animal husbandry and slaughter more humane) then it is attacking the animals for harming the consumer.

The latest assault came in the form of a BBC documentary titled Should I eat meat - The big health dilemma, which aired over the summer. The title of the documentary is indicative of its tone. But the delivery of the argument was surprisingly weak and inconclusive, summarising eventually that red meat in moderation probably has little negative impact on the body.

The premise for the show was for the presenter Michael Mosley to increase his meat intake for 30 days and measure the impact on his body.

Unsurprisingly, on upping his consumption from the recommended 80g a day to 130g, Mosley reportedly gained weight and saw an increase in blood pressure.

In weighing the issues the film maker jets off to sunny California to meet with a group of vegetarian Seventh-day Adventists who live, on average, five years longer than the rest of the population, he then found a researcher who had studied low-fat diets and discovered that saturated

saturated fats aren't as bad as everyone thinks: the risk of heart attack is a bit higher, but the risk of a stroke is a bit lower fats aren't nearly as bad as everyone thinks: the risk of heart attack is a bit higher, but the risk of a stroke is actually a bit lower. Another study suggested the health problems are associated with the L-carnitine amino acid found in lean meat, while a pan-European research project (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition [Epic]) concluded that moderate amounts of red meat have no discernible effects on health, though processed meats do carry significant risks, particularly of colorectal cancers.

The nature of the documentary was quickly criticised by members of the British Meat Advisory Panel, and individual studies rebuked, including the Epic report, which was slammed for relying on an evidence base gathered from questionnaires, rather than strict monitoring.

According to studies released this summer by the British Heart Foundation - which was given very little coverage - some five percent of total mortality in the UK is caused by air pollution, with sitting in a traffic jam for a couple of hours shown to cause heart attacks. Mosley’s documentary concludes that eating a bacon sandwich once a day might kill you two years early. The weight of focus and the attacks on the meat industry appear to this editor to be born out of lazy journalism rather than a desire to reveal a genuine threat to life expectancy.

Rhian Owen rhian@meatpacking.info @Meat_Packing

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C o n t en t s

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News the latest news from around the world and across the industry

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Mega plant MPJ editor Rhian Owen heads to Belgium to see how the Veviba mega plant is able to manage 50,000 orders a day, completing all tasks under one roof

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lamb The lamb industry has faced tough times. A shift to dairy in New Zealand, a drought in Australia and tight supply in Europe.But the Asian markets are driving something of a renaissance, as Daniel Bennett discovers

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bugers Two trends are driving the development in equipment for burger patty forming. Foremost is the gourmet experience, fat fluffy burger, now stuffed with fillings, such as cheese and chili. Second is the slider. Rhian Owen reviews

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decomposition Staving off the rot and maximising shelf life start with understanding how the meat spoils. James Chappelow looks at the battle against bacteria

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Packaging Meeting the expectations of the consumer is curtailing the shelf life of meat products.

Tom Burnett looks at missed opportunities with atmospheric packaging and rapid developments in vacuum systems

www.meatpacking.info

September~October 2014 | Meat Packing Journal | 5

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RUSSIA BANS POULTRY IMPORTS

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USSIAN PRESIDENT Vladimir Putin signed a decree to establish restrictions on imports of agricultural products from countries that have imposed economic sanctions on Russia as a result of the ongoing situation in Ukraine.

Although the decree did not specify the products that would be affected, it instructs the Russian government to establish a list of commodities to be restricted, and states that restrictions would be effective for one year. The decree also instructs officials to ensure that restrictions prevent price increases and to establish market-control measures to increase supplies of domestic goods. The National Chicken Council and USA Poultry & Egg Export Council said: “We have learned that poultry is one of the commodities to be included on the list. Russia is the second-leading market for U.S. chicken, in terms of volume. In 2013 the U.S. exported about 267,000 metric tons of chicken to Russia valued at US$303 million. As its domestic poultry industry has expanded, Russia has in recent years become less important as an export market. Russia currently accounts for only about seven percent of total U.S. poultry export volume. In

Australia red meat producer signs deal with china processor Australia: Western Australia’s largest red meat processor has signed a historic deal for the long term supply of beef and sheep meat into China. The deal between V & V Walsh, based in Bunbury, and Chinese company Grand Farm, was officially signed at an event on 4 August.

Grand Farm is the largest sheep meat importer and third largest beef importer in China.

The partnership between the two companies is the culmination of a 16-year business relationship between V & V Walsh directors Peter and Greg Walsh and Chen Xibin, Grand Farm president and chairman of China’s Beef and Lamb Association.

The deal will see V & V Walsh supply red meat directly into Inner Mongolia and increase its capacity by 500,000 lambs and 30,000 cattle in the early stages of the project, with scope for further growth.

Peter Walsh said the deal is a www.meatpacking.info

the mid-1990s, exports to Russia were as much as 40 percent of that total.

“As a result, we do not expect that a Russian ban on U.S. poultry imports will have a great impact on our industry. The biggest impact, we believe, will be on Russian citizens who will be burdened by higher prices for all food products, especially meat and poultry.

The price of poultry in Russia is already rising and has recently been increasing at a rate of two percent to three percent per week.

The Siberian Times reported the ban was leading to a boost in demand for the reindeer in Russia.

Russian TV broadcasters have promoted delicacies from producers in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug.

“Reindeer meat is ecologically clean, and that is why neither French foie gras, nor Spanish jambon nor any other foreign delicacies can compare with it”, said a Vesti news report on Russian television.

The region is an exporter of venison to the European Union, with 500 tons of meat sent to Germany, Finland and Sweden this year but now supplies will also go to the domestic market. Russia estimates some 70,000 reindeer will be slaughtered this year for venison.

significant step forward for the WA red meat industry and beef and sheep producers.

Chen Xibin of Grand Farm confirmed that he is seeking further investments in farms around the south west of Western Australia.

The sheep meat industry in WA comprises about 18 per cent of national sheep meat exports and was worth approximately AU$337 million to the state in 2012-13.

Grand Farm runs red meat processing facilities in Heilongjiang Province in Northern China and distributes imports and local produce to retail stores and the food service sector.

Texas gives honorary degree to Temple Grandin USA: Dr. Temple Grandin, professor of animal science at Colorado State University and internationally recognised authority on animal handling and autism, received an honorary degree from Texas A&M University in August. Dr. Grandin’s

contribution to our understanding of animal and human behaviour has set new standards for helping people in these diverse areas solve problems.

Dr. Grandin has been on campus in the past for the Beef Cattle Shortcourse, the Rosenthal Lecture Series, and for talks on autism. She has collaborated with faculty and students in various programs and projects in the Department of Animal Science for decades, and plans are in place to have her come back to campus in 2015 for lectures and visits with students.

During her recent visit, Dr. Grandin met with students, presented a talk for the Department of Animal Science on current thoughts on animal behaviour, and was the Convocation speaker for the August graduates.

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Outstanding safety in US poultry

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he us joint Industry Safety and Health Council recognised 96 chicken and turkey facilities for outstanding safety performance through the implementation of innovative and effective employee safety and health programs. The annual safety awards were presented during the 2014 National Safety Conference for the Poultry Industry held in Florida The Joint Industry Safety and Health Council consist of members from U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, National Chicken Council and National Turkey Federation. Collectively, the three organisations represent companies that produce 95 percent of US poultry products and directly employ more than 350,000 workers.

“The 2014 awards program resulted in a record number of award recipients despite more stringent requirements to qualify. The awards recognise their excellent safety performance achievement as a result of effective and innovative programs. The notable and constant decrease in illness and injury rates among poultry’s workforce over the last two decades is a direct

USDA Finalizes Poultry Inspection Rule USA: “I applaud Secretary Vilsack and the food safety professionals at the Food Safety and Inspection Service for moving forward with this rule to modernise our poultry inspection system in order to improve food safety – the top priority for our industry,” said National Chicken Council President Mike Brown in response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture receiving the final rule on Modernisation of Poultry Slaughter Inspection from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

USDA announced that the final rule is being sent to the Federal Register and plans to post the text on their website at www.fsis.usda.gov/ poultryinspection.

“We look forward to reviewing the contents of the final rule and working with the department and our members on proper implementation should our members choose to opt in to the new, voluntary system,” Brown added.

“Regarding line speeds: It is extremely unfortunate and disappointing that politics have

consequence of their dedication to worker safety,” said the Council.

The total recordable poultry processing illness and injury rate for 2012 was 4.9 cases per 100 fulltime workers (per year), down from 5.8 in 2011. This represents a 78 percent decrease from 1994 (the oldest data available on the BLS website), when the recorded rate was 22.7, demonstrating the enormous progress poultry processors have made in improving safety for our workforce.

Award consideration was based on injury statistics over three years and an evaluation of written applications by three judges: Gary Pohlmann of Marsh Risk Consulting, Doug Britton, program manager for Agricultural Technology Research at Georgia Tech Research Institute, and George Nassif of Aon Global Risk Consulting. Twenty-nine facilities received the highest level of recognition, “Award of Distinction.”

The other categories included “Award of Honor” and “Award of Merit.” For the full list of winners visit meatpacking.info

trumped sound science, 15 years of food and worker safety data and a successful pilot program with plants operating at 175 birds per minute. The rule also goes against global precedent, in which the limiting factors for line speeds are the ability to meet food safety standards, keeping workers safe, and the capability of the equipment to run effectively – not government regulations. Broiler plants in Brazil, Argentina, Canada, Belgium and Germany, among others, all operate at line speeds of 200 or more birds per minute.”

JBS announces second quarter profit of B$ 2.4 billion Brazil: JBS continued to post improving financial performance in 2014 with net revenues of B$ 29bn (US$13bn), up 32 percent year on year and 9.8 percent on first quarter results.

The rise in revenue was driven by better sales at all business units, except the US poultry operation, where revenues remained stable.

The quarterly highlight was in the

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Mercosur region, where revenues rose 15.8 percent, and JBS USA's Beef and Pork operations, as revenues improved on the back of rising average sales prices.

This meant that company EBITDA (profit before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization) rose 45.9 percent year on year to B$2.4bn (US$1.1bn). This result reflects the performance of pork and poultry operations in the US, where Ebitda increased 27.8 percent and 124.3 percent respectively, and at JBS Foods, with Ebitda of B$440m.

In the second quarter, JBS also saw exports increase. Between April and June 2014, the company exported US$ 4.3bn, a 45 percent improvement year on year. Sales to Greater China, which includes shipments to China and Hong Kong, represented 18.5 percent of all sales, while trade with South America accounted to 12.6 percent.

During the same period, second quarter net profits were B$254.3m.

This is 3.6 times higher than first quarter results in 2014, when the company announced net profits of B$70m.

Another quarterly highlight was the company deleveraging process. JBS www.meatpacking.info

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continues to the process of reducing leverage that began in the fourth quarter of 2013, ending June with a net debt ratio to Ebitda of 3.15. This is less than the 4.03 reported at the end of the fourth quarter of last year, during the Seara Brasil acquisition.

“JBS' results reveal a systematic increase in revenues, improved operating results and a consequent reduction in leveraging. All these factors mean the company is generating further value for all its stakeholders”, said Wesley Batista, JBS' global CEO.

positive trends in antimicrobial resistance USA: The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released its National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) 2011 Executive Report, showing mostly decreasing antimicrobial resistance trends.

The annual NARMS Executive Report focuses on resistance to antibiotics that are considered important in human medicine as well as multidrug resistance (described as resistance to three or more classes of antibiotics), according to the FDA. Under the NARMS program, samples are collected from human, food producing animals and retail meat sources, and tested for certain bacteria, specifically non-typhoidal Salmonella, Campylobacter, E. coli and Enterococcus, to determine whether such bacteria are resistant to various antibiotics used in human and veterinary medicine.

Some 85 percent of non-typhoidal Salmonella collected from humans, which includes Heidelberg, Hadar, Typhimurim, and Enteritidis serotypes, had no resistance to any of the antibiotics tested. (Non-typhoidal Salmonella refers to one of the 2,300 serotypes of Salmonella except for Typhi, Paratyphi A, Paratyphi B (tartrate negative) and Paratyphi C.) During its 16-year history, NARMS has found Salmonella resistance to ciprofloxacin to be very low (less than 0.5 percent in humans, less than 3 percent in retail meat, and less than 1 percent in animals at www.meatpacking.info

slaughter). Ciprofloxacin, one of the most common antibiotics to treat Salmonella infections in humans, belongs to a group of drugs called fluoroquinolones which were ceased for use in poultry in 2005.

Multi-drug resistance in Salmonella from humans and slaughtered chickens was the lowest since NARMS testing began.

Resistance to erythromycin, the antibiotic of choice to treat Campylobacter infections, in Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) has remained at less than 4 percent in isolates obtained from humans, retail chicken and slaughtered chicken since testing began.

“NCC (the National Chicken Council) is pleased to see many positive trends in the data including a decrease in resistance in several foodborne pathogens and that first-line antibiotics remain effective in treating illnesses,” said Ashley Peterson, Ph.D., National Chicken Council vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs. “Though this data is from 2011, this report provides a strong case that the continued judicious use of antibiotics by poultry and livestock producers is aiding in the reduction of resistance in various foodborne pathogens.”

NCC supports FDA’s Guidance #213 that is phasing-out the growthpromoting uses of those antibiotics in livestock and poultry that are used in human medicine. “We believe that this transition will continue to preserve the effectiveness of those antibiotics used to treat human illnesses. We also

support FDA’s proposed Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) that will ensure all antibiotics that are administered to food producing animals will be done so under the prescription of a licensed veterinarian. Both of these actions by FDA and full cooperation by chicken producers and animal health companies will help continue to drive the decrease in resistance in foodborne pathogens,” said a spokesman for the NCC.

health risks highlighted for dutch cleaners The netherlands: Government inspectors stopped production at 10 abattoirs and meat processing plants for a time last year because conditions for staff who clean the machines were so unsafe.

In total, Social Affairs Ministry inspectors identified 488 instances where abattoir and meat plant cleaning staff were exposed to risk.

Problems were found at 90% of the country’s 217 slaughterhouses and meat processing factories, the inspectors said in report published in late August.

Meat industry cleaners are exposed to two serious health risks: dangerous machinery and infectious diseases.

In addition, in some cases machinery is not properly switched off and they risk electrocution, the ministry inspectors said.

Slaughterhouses and chicken processing plants offer most risk of infection, the inspectors said.

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Improved returns see rise in NZ cattle

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ry conditions conditions in the New Zealand’s North Island and continued land use change in the South Island saw sheep numbers decrease 3.2 per cent over the 2013-14 season, while beef cattle numbers increased 1.6 per cent. Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s (B+LNZ) Economic Service carries out a stock number survey annually. Its latest survey shows sheep numbers dropped to 29.8 million in the year to 30 June 2014.

B+LNZ Economic Service Chief Economist Andrew Burtt said strong mutton prices, driven by rising demand from North Asia, encouraged a high level of cull ewe processing for the second year in a row.

Breeding ewe numbers, at 19.96 million, were slightly down (-1.4 percent) on the previous June. The largest contributor to the overall decline was the South Island, reflecting the continued land use trend towards dairy and dairy support activities.

Ewe condition and feed supplies were positive at the 2014 mating, except in Northland and northern parts of the Waikato, where farmers experienced a second year of dry conditions. On average across the country, scanning results are estimated to be higher than in 2013.

Burtt said that, given the favourable climatic

Cargill closes beef plant as cattle numbers fall USA: Cargill announced that it will close its Milwaukee, Wis., beef harvest facility, which employs approximately 600 people, effective at the close of business, 1 August 2014. The closure of the facility results primarily from the tight cattle supply brought about by producers retaining cattle for herd expansion. The ground beef plant at the site will remain open to meet customer needs, employing approximately 200 people. Cargill’s six other U.S. beef harvest plants are unaffected.

Cargill purchased the beef harvest plant in 2001 and it has a processing capacity of 1,300 to 1,400 animals daily. For the more than 600 people impacted at the plant, Cargill will be offering opportunities to fill positions at other company locations in the region. Those who relocate to positions at other Cargill facilities will receive assistance. For displaced employees, Cargill will provide support

conditions and overall adequate feed supplies, the national average ewe lambing percentage is forecast to lift by about 1.5 percentage points from 120.9 per cent in 2013. “With 20 million breeding ewes, each one percentage point change in lambing percentage equates to 200,000 lambs. However, spring lambing conditions will be a key factor determining the final lamb crop.”

For the first time since 2006-07, beef cattle numbers increased – to 3.76 million – reflecting good feed conditions and improved returns, which led farmers to hold on to older cattle.

“Breeding cows were in good condition at mating.

With favourable feed supplies over the winter, and assuming good feed supplies continue into spring, the calving percentage is expected to be similar to last year,” Mr Burtt says. “The only exceptions are Northland and northern parts of the Waikato, where tight feed conditions in spring 2014 might impact on calf survival at calving.”

The Economic Service estimates the dairy herd increased 0.7 per cent in the year to 30 June 2014, reflecting increasing numbers in the South Island (+2.6 percent), offset by a slight decline in the North Island (-0.5 percent).

including a job fair in Milwaukee.

“Closing our Milwaukee beef plant is taking place only after we conducted an 18-month-long analysis of the region’s cattle supply and examined all other possible options,” said John Keating, president of Cargill Beef, based in Wichita, Kan. “It is unfortunate that we must close any beef plant because of the impact to good people, their families and the community. The harsh reality is that the U.S. beef cattle herd is at its lowest level since 1951, with any significant herd expansion being years away.”

The company’s six remaining US beef processing plants are located in California, Texas, Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska and Pennsylvania.

MPS builds pig slaughter line for Westfort The netherlands: Westfort Vleesproducten (a merger of Egbert Kruiswijk Vleesproducten and Lunenberg Vlees) is to invest in

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a new pig slaughterhouse in IJsselstein, The Netherlands.

MPS meat processing systems in Lichtenvoorde was chosen by Westfort to be the supplier of the ultra-modern slaughter line with cold storage units and product processing lines.

The new slaughterhouse will have a capacity of 650 pigs per hour and is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2015. The slaughter line will be equipped with the latest techniques with animal welfare, automation and sustainability as spearheads.

“We are very proud to be Westfort’s supplier”, says Remko Rosman, managing director of MPS. “Westfort is one of the leading companies in the Dutch meat processing industry.”

Project management and engineering firm PROMAD is responsible for the design and management of the build. www.meatpacking.info

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Belgium's True Blue Editor Rhian Owen visits a Belgium beef slaughterhouse and processor, specialising in Belgium Blue beef, and finds how implementing automation has optimised business

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All images: CSB and veviba

riving through the Belgium countryside, it is quickly becomes clear that the country's cattle is unique. Largely made up of Belgium Blue, these animals are so laden with muscle it makes other cows look almost underdeveloped.

Growth hormones are banned in the EU, but the sculpted, heavily muscled appearance of the Belgium Blue, which is known as 'double muscling', is a natural development for the breed.

The Belgium Blue has a natural mutation of the gene that codes for myostatin, a protein that counteracts muscle growth. The truncated myostatin is unable to function in this capacity, resulting in accelerated lean

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muscle growth, due primarily to hyperplasia rather than hypertrophy. The defect in the Belgium Blue's gene is maintained through linebreading. The mutation also interferes with fat deposition, resulting in very lean meat.

While the slower rate of fat deposition in Belgium Blue cattle causes slaughtering to often be delayed and therefore increases maintenance costs, the breed outclasses all other beef breed in carcass yield, up to 80 percent. High input, high output - this beef system can be profitable.

JoĂŤl Godfrind, human resources manager at Veviba says: "The cattle consumes less and transforms more efficiently. The performance is very high and that is one of the reasons we mainly work with Belgium Blue cattle."

Veviba

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eviba is part of the Verbist group, which has been supplying the Belgium and European markets with beef for over 30 years.

Primarily the company sells its products to Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Greece.

The sheer scale of the Veviba beef slaughterhouse and processing facility, which lies just outside the town of Bastogne in Belgium, is overwhelming. A key reason for the size of the facility is that Veviba does everything under one roof: breeding, slaughtering, cutting and packaging. Its own vehicle fleet handles animal transportation and refrigeration logistics.

With the CSB-System, Veviba manages goods receiving, production, packaging, price labelling, fully automated high-bay storage and goods dispatch.

Kevin Ternest, IT manager at Veviba, says: "Everyone can check data without worrying about forgetting something, since it all goes in to the system automatically. It's much easier this way. With CSB you can choose any hardware - for example we use MPS for our automatic warehouse and Bizerba for labelling, which are the best machines you can buy for labelling."

Along with the CSB-System, Veviba has also installed the CSB-Rack, an industrial PC for automated data capture. Operational data is captured online and in real time along the information and material flow, which is then directly transferred to the ERP system. One of the key benefits is the secure realisation of transparent traceability.

Traceability has played a big part in the restoration of consumer confidence in the meat industry and companies and governments globally are demanding full track and trace measures. In Europe, the EU General Food Law Regulation defines traceability as “the ability to trace and follow a food, feed, food-producing 14 | Meat Packing Journal | September~October 2014

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animal or substance ... through all stages of production, processing and distribution�.

At Veviba, as everything is carried out in one place it is a lot easier to adhere to traceability regulations. Godfrind explains that due to the company's vertical structure it can monitor the whole production chain and guarantee the quality of its products from the farm to the pack.

Erwin Kooke, managing director at CSBSystem International, adds: "For the customers it's important that they can rely on the supplier like they can with Veviba, because they know the chain from the beginning to the end. With other suppliers, there are a lot of other people involved in the chain. Veviba has the whole chain and it's one of the biggest advantages of this company. There is no other private company in the Benulux that is doing this with beef.

"The purpose of full traceability is also to have the possibility to make your business transparent. The more detailed you are, and the more information you have, the more information you have on your company. It's not just to trace back, but it's to make your process transparent."

advancing automation

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eviba's growth has been astronomical; daily production has grown by 20,000 packages over the last several years. The intralogistics needed to keep up with business today 50,000 products leave the premises daily with only 250 staff - is more than impressive.

The facility didn't look heavily populated with workers, but employees working with computer systems and those on non-automated stations looked determined and worked swiftly. Every piece looked like it fit perfectly.

Orders come in to Veviba by 11am and the truck arrives by 3pm. When the tour began at a leisurely 10am, it was quite a shock to hear that the men on the deboning lines had been there since 5am in order for everything to work like clockwork.

"The production is a big ship from slaughtering to labelling," says Godfrind. "There are changes to orders every day, with promotions such as BBQ coming in. For example, next week if we know we have a promotion in BBQ but then it rains, the number of animals we need to slaughter will not be the same. If we slaughter too many cows our commercial department needs to know what to do with the meat, because we work with a 30 day maximum date, so it's a big coordination of every department, working with an ERP is conducive in this way."

The company's primary reason for www.meatpacking.info

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implementing automation was the growing amount of daily orders, especially for sliced products. There is a growing popularity of convenience food among consumers - with Europe dominating the world's ready meals market - and sliced meat is synonymous with this trend.

"We started to implement some automation when we saw that the orders for slicing products were growing," says Ternest. "There is huge growth in retail products; we're receiving orders and we have to deliver three or four hours after that. In the beginning everything was searched manually, and we couldn't do it anymore. It was too time consuming."

Kooke adds: "At the beginning it was okay but then more orders came in, the lead time was getting shorter and shorter, more production, more to deliver, so sooner or later you have to do something. You couldn't produce and deliver everything in three or four hours otherwise."

Godfrind says that automation has made business more efficient and has eradicated errors. "In the past there were many people carrying around boxes, now we've got automatic conveyors so it's one line and it's always checked; everything is checked automatically," Godfrind notes. "Also, on the labelling lines the mistakes are eliminated, so it's easier for us to find people on the line to work as everything is easy. The formation is very clear."

The Belgium meat processor is now looking to further automate its facility. Currently, when the products are labelled they are going into a crate, which has half a dozen people putting the crates on pallet racks. Veviba is investigating whether to automate this process.

working the system

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lobally, the meat industry is struggling to find staff. As the demand for meat grows, processors are undertaking major expansions and upgrades that has led to a growing demand for more workers.

Indeed, there are many disincentives to working in a cutting and deboning room. For example, not only are employees at Veviba working in an uninterrupted environment of a maximum of five degrees Celsius, along with unsociable hours, the work itself is difficult.

Yet, the strong, burly men on the cutting and deboning line work quickly, fluently - they look like they could do it in their sleep. They make the laborious work seem effortless.

"We try to train some local people here, but it's very difficult," says Godfrind. "Most of the deboning workers we have are not local workers.

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started with nine people. It's not easy to find people who want to do this because you start early in the morning and it's a bit cold. There are other jobs - construction, which isn't cold.

It has become quite difficult to find workers for cutting and deboning, for the rest of the company it's not a problem."

Veviba's new in-house training programme for the deboning line brings in candidates from diverse sectors including construction, carpentry and catering. The training includes lectures (such as on hygiene and anatomy of muscles) as well as practical courses. After 17 weeks the students are generally ready to work on the floor.

Processors are also keen to measure individual employee performance; across the globe companies are looking to hold employees accountable for their performance in areas of yield, portion control consistency, quality and productivity.

Belgium Blue carcase produced a high yield of saleable meat, so at Veviba the pressure on workers is even more paramount. "We compare the weight in, the weight out, then the weight of the bones and fat and the meat. We record all the data," says Godfrind.

Ternest adds: "For the yield, for example, we have two big screens and we're going to put the actual yield on the monitors so they can see what they're doing. Everyone can see their live performance."

Of course, there are other areas of the slaughterhouse that might appear difficult to work in, such as the slaughtering itself. Seeing www.meatpacking.info

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the slaughtering of the animals - we saw the cattle before slaughter and moments afterwards but not the killing itself - was not as difficult as expected. The process was handled so efficiently, so swiftly, that in no time at all the carcass was skinned and moved along the rack. But with a short timeframe to work to, efficiency is paramount at Veviba.

Ternest explains that one of Veviba's biggest challenges is to ensure that workers work with the system. "Everyone has the intention to work on his own little island," says Ternest. "But when you are working on your own island, on your own spreadsheets, the other people don't have access to your database. If everyone works with the system then everyone can work fluently."

Increasingly, automation is replacing humans, not just in the meat industry but across a wide range of industries. According to a recent survey by CareerBuilder and Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI), one in five companies has replaced workers with automation. It's an unsettling trend for many workers, for companies such as Veviba the resistance is difficult to manage - and is something they are only beginning to emerge from.

"The workers don't like anything new," says Ternest. "We have automated as our customers base has grown. We've put workers on other jobs, but they are afraid of new environments and automation. The implementation took some two years until it worked 100 percent as people didn't trust it" September~October 2014 | Meat Packing Journal | 19

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Learning to

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love lamb The lamb industry has faced some tough times. In New Zealand farmers are switching to produce dairy product, in Australia severe drought has hit production and in Europe supply is tightening. But with a little help from the Asian markets, Lamb producers could be about to enjoy something of a renaissance. Daniel Bennett investigates

Beef + Lamb New Zealand

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here is perhaps no meat more sacred than Lamb. Religious connotations aside, a roast leg of lamb crowning the centre of a Sunday dinner table is hard to beat.

But in the wake of a recession, such luxuries are often the first to fall off the shopping list.

Indeed, the latest market report from Eblex - the organisation for the English Beef and Sheep industry - stated that the continent as a whole is buying less lamb. And it’s not just consumers abandoning sheep, large numbers of farmers, in Europe and the Antipodes, are turning over their land to dairy farming in search of bigger profit margins. It appears to be a bad time to be in the lamb business, but appearances can be deceiving.

Some markets are shrinking and supply in parts of the world is dwindling. But there is good news. New, growing economies around the world are demanding meat. Not just more of it, but they want the cuts that the West has traditionally held in low esteem. And for those remaining in the industry can, with the help of new advances in processing technology, get more value out of produce than ever before.

Sea change

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ew Zealand’s farming industry is going through something of a metamorphosis.

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Since the 90s the amount of land used for sheep farming has fallen by just under 30 per cent, and that figure looks like it will keep growing. The land change has been driven primarily by huge demand for dairy products. In countries like China, the growing economy has seen personal incomes rise, and with it, the consumption of milk has grown. “If you think about it, as individual wealth rises, a mother tends to look out for her children first, so you can see why demand for milk has risen so sharply,” explains Tim Ritchie, CEO of New Zealand’s Meat Industry Association. “Of course the farmer will move their enterprise to wherever they can maximise profit.” Despite this mass migration, New Zealand has produced a fairly consistent volume of lamb for the last 20 years. How has it filled the gap?

“There’s been a focus on productivity and efficiency,” answers Ritchie. “Behind the farm gates, although there are a lot fewer ewes, productivity on the land that’s left has been increasing. There’s higher lambing percentages, and the processing industry has sped ahead with automation to give us a much more efficient industry.” Which is just as well, since in the last few years China, and the rest of Asia, has started demanding more than just dairy products – now they want meat. Ritchie now thinks we’re on the cusp of a new era. He believes that now, income in China has climbed to a point where September~October 2014 | Meat Packing Journal | 21

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island fever

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he story isn’t all taking place on New Zealand soil though. For many years the UK has been a net importer - buying more lamb from countries like New Zealand and Australia than it sold abroad. But that’s begun to change.

In 2013 the UK became a net exporter of sheep meat. In homes, consumers have become more interested in provenance than ever before, driving up sales of beef and lamb farmed on these shores. The UK also saw its sheep numbers rise - the only other country to manage this was Asutralia. Meanwhile demand in France - the country that takes the majority of our exports - grew steadily as the number of French lamb producers fell. But the single biggest development has been in the UK’s exports to non-EU countries, again driven by the Asian influence.

“Hong Kong is now our second largest market after France,” says Peter Hardwick head of the trade development at Eblex. “Since 2011 our exports to countries outside of the EU has increased three-fold. And it’s all what we call ‘complementary requirements’ - cuts of meat that have a low demand in the UK, but a high demand elsewhere.” Meat that would have been rendered or taken away now has considerable value. Sheep’s heads are primarily disposed of in the UK - though they can be sold as long as they’re under 12 months old - but they have a high value in the Far East according to Hardwick. He continues: “What’s the value of a lamb backbone once you’ve removed the loin? Nothing. Those have a commercial value in China. Sheeps feet are disposed of in the UK. and you had to pay a renderer to take them away, but they have value in other markets. And now’s the time to take advantage of that.”

So what does this mean for the producers? “Processing has to get more efficient in the UK,” answers Hardwick. “Whether it’s supermarkets in our own country or companies on the continent, no one wants whole carcasses anymore. That’s an opportunity because we can balance the value of the whole carcass across several different countries. As long as you’ve got lots of markets to sell to, you can do www.meatpacking.info

Beef + Lamb New Zealand

consumers can afford to start buying more meat - and if the figures are anything to go by, it seems he’s right.

In the first quarter of this year 44 per cent of New Zealand’s sheep meat exports went to China – in 2010 that figure was just seven per cent. New Zealand lamb is filling a gap: 94 per cent of the lamb eaten in China is grown on Chinese land, the rest is imported, and it’s this window that New Zealand’s producers have used to start increasing their revenue.

As well as providing the world with more consumers, the Chinese market has also improved the value of each carcass. Cuts that the West has traditionally considered of low worth have more value in Asia; their cuisine is better suited to get the most out these cuts. Take the Mongolian Hot Pot dish as an example, where a rich broth bubbles away in the middle of the table in which diners cook their own slivers of meat. “Belly is ideal for this kind of dish,” says Ritchie “and in China, the value for that cut has gone from less than a dollar a kilo, to over five dollars per kilo. It’s actually now more valuable cut than shoulder meat.”

But as Ritchie is keen to point out, New Zealand’s producers don’t intend “put all their eggs” in the Chinese basket. They’re already eyeing up India as their next export market - they already have access to export meat there. The trouble is, there isn’t the infrastructure to allow for meat to travel across the country without spoiling yet. But a solution could already be in the works. New Zealand’s processors are already working on the next generation of packaging to enable them to enter that market. For example, Ritchie mentioned two companies that are looking into the potential of bacteriaphages - harmless viruses that feed on the bacteria that causes meat to spoil. No bacteria means no rot, so a host of friendly assassins impregnated into the very packaging itself could greatly extend the shelf life of the product, regardless of the temperature it’s transported at. It’s some way from commercial use yet, but the idea demonstrates how important packaging could be to will be the key to securing these vital, developing markets.

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this successfully. They used to say the moment you put a knife in it you lose money. But that’s not the case anymore.”

Indeed, even on the UK’s home turf, consumers are demanding less traditional cuts.

Loin, legs and racks appear expensive when seen next to the cheap pork and chicken lining supermarket shelves. They also demand time, effort and a bit of know-how to cook. So it’s taken the newer, more unusual lamb cuts to grab consumer’s attention.

“The National Sheep Association (NSA) feels that there’s more work to be done newer more attractive butchery cuts that fit with modern demand and a modern lifestyle,” says Phil Stocker, the NSA’s Chief Excecutive. “Things like quick cook joints, mini roasts and boned legged steaks. There’s really a chance to rebuild some of the market share of lamb in the domestic market by becoming more competitive on the shop shelves.”

mechanical marvels

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t seems then creating attractive new cuts for Western consumers while “balancing” the carcass over different countries will be vital to lamb processing moving forward. One man who has been helping companies achieve these goals is Koorosh Kohdabendehloo, founder of the UK’s Advanced Manufacturing and Automation Research Centre and a technology consultant who’s been helping Australian and Kiwi companies automate their production lines. The ROC, Robotic Ovine Cutter, system which uses X-ray vision to automatically cut and process around 600 carcasses/per hour – that’s 10 per minute – was based on his research. In place of band saws, he’s been designing robots that effectively replace humans to improve the hygiene and quality of the meat, while making processing, for obvious reason, are safer all round. So how can his machines help?

“So I’ve developed a lamb Rack Barrel Machine with Attec. It takes the chime bone and feather bone out in one piece,” says Kohdabendehloo. “The traditional system is to split up the carcass and then take the chime bone out on a band saw and then take the feather bone off by hand. The bone is broken into bits, which is then a waste product. But if you use the rack barrel machine it comes out in one piece with the spine, which is then a product in itself. In fact that product has an export value in China. While I was in Australia last month I saw these being vac-packed and selling at about 5 dollars a kilo.”

The Rack Barrel System is used to automate the cutting of the middle (barrel) of the lamb.

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Above: Brisket cutter

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Its primary focus is the high value cuts: the loin and the rack. There’s a huge differential in price depending of the quality of cut of this section, according to Kohdabendehloo it can be as much as £20-30 a kilo. So the correct processing is fundamental to the profitability of the animal.

“An error of 5 mm on a processing volume of 600 carcasses per hour can cost in the region of half a million (aus) dollars per year.” The machine could pay for itself within the year.

While this kind of automation is already in place in Australian and Kiwi processing facilities, the UK has been slower on the uptake. Of course part of the reason is that the larger antipodean businesses will see economies of scale help them recoup the costs much quicker. But there’s also a more technical problem,

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Below: Evisceration Robot

which fundamentally changes how the UK will have to approach automation.

“In New Zealand they’re more easily able to go for full automation because their lambs are more uniform,” explains Kohdabendehloo.

“These systems can work in most factories as the majority of New Zealand lambs are Romneys.

But in the UK you have to put together custom modules. If you were to put carcasses that vary wildly in size into these

products it would jam them.”

The solution lies in human judgement. So machines can be built where a human overseer can help load the machine before guiding it to the correct cuts. Once it’s shown the way the machine can use its own computer algorithmns to calculate consecutive cuts. It sounds intimidating but in reality it’s as simple as pointing a laser to show the machine where to start.

Crucially Kohdabendehloo doesn’t want to deskill the processing labour force. The ROC machine, that was based on his R&D and is used all over the world, is at first glance a hugely technical device. It uses X-rays – which have to be limited to a certain strength to stop the radiation affecting the meat – to determine precisely where the bones sit, before using circular blades to make millimeter-precise cuts But the system comes in different shapes and size.

For example the basic ROC device is pretrained by hand. With the help of scans, and a skilled worker, the robot is shown where to make the first cut as a reference point before it working out itself where to go to make the shoulder and leg cuts. The idea here is to build machinery that is analogous to what employees in the food sector already do.

Kohdabendehloo explains his aims in more detail: “One of the big issues I’ve been faced with over the last three years is that many companies are finding it difficult to go into automation and robotics because they’re not engineers. Unlike a car company who have will have a workforce with a lot of engineering skills – a robot is just another piece of machinery to them – food processors have maintenance engineers, who won’t necessarily have the robotics training to look after these machines.

So the approach I’ve been trying to take is to make technology that tries to map the skill levels of each food sector. You can’t expect someone who can drive a car to suddenly fly a plane” www.meatpacking.info

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As well making machines user friendly Kohdabendehloo tries to make local equipment that fits the spare parts that people stock for pneumatic and machinery locally. Automation isn’t just taken place in the cutting rooms though. Companies like Scott Technologies in New Zealand are creating robotic deboning rooms (see issue xx), ideal for speeding up the creation of the kind of modern, convenient cuts that would appeal to the modern buyer.

The end goal this work is to help producers make a better product, quicker. And this will be vital if producers want to fill the gaps created by the rapidly growing global demand for meat.

Beyond faster producion, the fewer human hands touching the meat, will equate to less contamination and a longer shelf life. Which brings us to the final part of the equation: the presentation.

Processing and farming techniques have moved along to meet the global market at a rapid pace, and the development of modern packaging isn’t far behind. For time-starved Western consumers there’s the fridge-to-oven aluminum trays, and vac-packed shanks from New Zealand that have a year-long shelf life.

But there’s one technology that caught our eye in particular since it taps in to a current trend in UK cooking.

Among the chefs, amateur and professional alike, Sous-vide is the new buzzword. It’s a technique where the meat is vacuum packed and cooked in its own juices at a low temperature www.meatpacking.info

in a water bath. The advantages are plentiful.

For a start, the meat stays perfectly moist since no moisture is allowed to escape, and as it’s cooked in its juices it’s oozing with flavor.

Cooking the meat in a water bath also allows for the temperature to be completely and evenly controlled. The result is a perfectly cooked piece of meat. You might be wondering how this bears any import the lamb industry.

Well, the equipment to do all the above can be costly and takes up space. But Superior Farms in Boston have come up with a solution: a vacuum packed leg of lamb that you can throw in the oven.

Though we haven’t tried it out ourselves, there’s little fault to find in a slow-cooked leg of lamb basted in its own juices that takes all of a minute to prepare. Best of all there’s no equipment needed to cook it other than an oven, so there’s few barriers to purchase, and it could potentially be sold and shipped to anywhere in the world.

It’s this kind of innovative thinking that will secure lamb’s producers profits in this new “era” – as Tony Ritchie put it. New markets and new technologies will allow companies to get more value from their animals than ever before. As these new economies in Asia develop, transport and packaging solutions that speak to convenience and simplicity with help entice consumers faced with a multitude of choice. So while the future might look tough, it certainly looks bright September~October 2014 | Meat Packing Journal | 27

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born to breed What makes your lamb better than anyone elses?

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rom us you basically get a low-cost production sheep unit. So we’ve bred into them the genes for increased meat yield, genes for foot rot disease resistance, high growth rate, the ability to lamb outside and so on.

For example with the cold weather tolerance gene the lambs have the ability, when they’re born outside in the cold, to very quickly metabolise their reserves of brown fat, which means if they’re born in a storm or cold weather, they’re more likely to survive than most other animals. That’s because of the genes they’re carrying. We collect animals based on a gene set that makes farmers’ lives easier. I.e. the sheep that requires the least input from a farmer. So they look after themselves. They’re very good mothers. They grow very quickly so you can get them off the farm as quickly as possible. All of this goes into insuring that the cost of production is as low as possible.

Of course we also select for muscle area and fat density. But that’s just one trait of many we look at. That said, you do get people who do tend to select on single traits. So people come to us and just say they want a ram with a negative fat score. Then they can start breeding that ram into their stock and start bringing down their fat level a little bit. Or whichever way they want to do it.

What we do in addition that’s different to

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everyone else is that we genotype the very top animals as another layer of additional proof that it’s as good as we say it is. You can breed 120 to 150 ewes with one ram so if you pick a really good ram will make a very big impact on your flock very quickly. In your ram’s lifetime he will likely sire 5-600 offspring.

So how do you do it?

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hen this technology was developed in 2007 it was all done on New Zealand animals and the same is true for the commercialized version made by Zoetis (formally Pfizer) in 2010. It’s important to say that It’s not a test that’s used in isolation. As well as testing certain key animals all animals are also traditionally performance recorded. So for example when we talk about a DNA or a Genomic value for growth rate that information is combined with real measurements. So we measure an animal’s growth rate, it’s fathers growth rate, its cousin’s growth rate and so on. All of that information comes together in a big computer/melting pot and you come up with an overall breeding estimated breeding value for that animal (EBV).

Tthe genomic test only works for New Zealand Romneys, and the reason for that is obvious when you look at the figures: of the 21 million sheep in New Zealand 70% are Romneys. This is also helpful, because it makes genetic progress within the breed fairly quick.

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Meet Rob Hodgkins, the first producer in the UK to use the science of genomics to select his breeding rams. Daniel Bennett finds out how using he’s the latest scientific research to gain a competitive edge

So that’s why in we started importing lambs from New Zealand. We wanted to be part of that progress. We effectively have Kiwi genetics, a New Zealand farm, we just happen to be in the south coast of Eng. We have a special ear tag, which contains a glass test tube. We punch this ear tag in to the animal. It collects a sliver of the ear that then drops into the test tube that we then remove from the ear tag.

That tissue sample is posted to NZ. And the info is then combined with performance recording that we submit, and we get a scorecard emailed back. You get scores for each of 24 traits, like the ones I entioned earlier and we build up a scorecard that’s attached to every animal.

Why has it taken so long for this kind of approach to make it in the UK’s lamb industry?

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he research that goes into making this genomic technology work is very expensive. When you look at farming pigs you have a new batch of pigs out of a mother every three to four months and you have litter sizes of about 17.

So investment can pay for itself fairly quickly. Meanwhile chickens have a 14-day

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turnaround, so you can get your money back quickly. Also cattle are very high value animals - your typical cow will be 6700 pounds. But in sheep you’ve got only a few being born in a year and their value is just 60 pounds it’s simple economics. Beside we have a massive variet of breeds in England so it just not as easy as in New Zealand where you’ve got more farmers tending to one type of sheep.

So what next?

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hat we’d love to do is work with an abattoir or a producer in the hearts/cambs area, or a larger abattoir that has a lorry going through, that would like to work with us. The idea is that when we get an animal that’s from a superior shoulder meat yield for example - they can look at the animals and say yes, these 20 animals are superior others we’ve seen. That kind of work has been done in NZ but it’d be lovely to work with a forward-thinking abattoir that can help us make progress here.

Then we can start integrating our rams based on what the abattoir says, which I think would be an incredibly interesting study.

For more information and details on each of the 24 traits the Wairier farm selects for check out Rob Hodgkins Nuffield research at www.nuffieldinternational.org

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FO R M ING

better the burger From stuffing hamburgers to the rise of sliders, the market is full of creative burgers to entice the growing number of customers eating out at casual dining restaurants. One thing is certain, the attention on premium hamburgers has engaged the industry with manufactures and processors focussing on how to make the perfect burger. Editor Rhian Owen speaks to industry experts to find out more.

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ho invented the hamburger?

It might seem like there should be an easy answer, but there is not. There have been several competing claims for the coveted "Inventor of the Hamburger" title, none of which have been proven due primarily to the lack of written history surrounding its origin. It is a fight that spans the United States, although Louis Lessen is credited by the Library of Congress to have served the first hamburger. Allegedly, a customer in 1900 ordered a quick hot meal from Louis' lunch wagon in New Haven, Conneticuit, and Louis was out of steaks. Taking ground beef trimmings, Louis made a patty and grilled it, putting it between two slices of toast.

While Fletcher Davis of Athens, Texas, claimed to have invented the hamburger in the 1880s.

According to oral histories, Davis opened a lunch counter and served a 'burger' of fried ground beef patties with mustard and Bermuda onion between two slices of bread. www.meatpacking.info

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In an article written in ABC News - A Major Beef! Who invented the hamburger? - the reporter says there may never be a resolution: "Another issue is that the spread of the burger happened largely at the World's Fair, from tiny vendors that came and went in an instant. And it is entirely possible that more than one person came up with the idea at the same time in different parts of the country.�

While this debate still rages among people arguing a family or regional claim, it is perhaps more imperative for us - the meat industry to look at the many trends developing in the hamburger space.

premium burgers

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t has been at least 110 years since the invention of the hamburger, and the burger sector has evolved exponentially. Consumers are no longer demanding perfectly circular patties, but burgers that look home-made and are natural in shape.

Go back only seven or so years ago and premium burgers would be described as a standard patty with premium toppings on a premium bun. Today’s premium burger is focused on the product texture - the hamburger patties must cook evenly and offer a consistent, tender bite.

"In recent years there have been significant changes in the burger market reflecting consumer preferences and the economic environment. The sales of burgers overall is growing, and there is greater premiumisation and product differentiation. This is in response to price pressures as much as change in consumer preferences," says Richard Clinton, commercial director, Dawn Meats. The Irishheadquartered company is a meat processor producing beef and lamb products.

"The premiumisation of the burger sector is an increasing trend," adds Bill Wight, VP, product development and engineering, Provisur.

"The patties must look and have the feel of a patty you would make at home. We have definitely seen an increase in the amount of products available in the market and there is no question that there has been an uptake in popularity of these burgers."

The premiumisation of hamburger patties is a clear trend in the US, triggered by the rise of fast casual restaurant dining with hamburgers on the menus. This emerging sector has a niche positioning that places it between fast food outlets and traditional full-service restaurants.

Hamburger patties are one of the most popular items in restaurants today and American players are entering the UK market too. For

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example, US gourmet burger brands such as Five Guys and Shake Shack launched in London last year. According to research conduced last year by NPD Crest, more people in the UK are choosing to eat out at casual restaurant chains, following trends in the US. Within the fast casual sector visits rose by 0.9 percent and sales increased by 1.7 percent in the year ending 30 September 2013.

"Medium sized, casual dining restaurants have promoted homemade burgers. Casual dining restaurant chains where you go in and are not dressed up are popular. You don't go up to a counter and order your burger and fries.

We've seen a big resurgence of hamburgers on the menu at these places. There are also more families going out in the US and they don't want to spend four hours in a restaurant; they want to go to a movie afterwards, yet they do want to sit down and have a nice hamburger.

These chains are fast growing and are typically well accepted," says Dave Howard, regional manager, Reiser.

Many manufactures looking at the market determined that most equipment was overpressurising the meat and realised the opportunity to make the burgers without pressure - and enabling processors to produce hamburgers that have the texture, feel and bite of homemade patties.

Reiser and Vemag have developed a solution for producing gourmet hamburger patties with a homemade look using a Vemag Stuffer and a Vemgag FM250 Forming Machine, which does not use high-pressure to compress the meat.

Instead, the FM250 uses a low-pressure system to form the patties. Reiser states that meat fibres are not crushed or destroyed using the FM250, instead they retain their natural alignment so the hamburgers look and taste homemade.

rising trends

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awn Meats focusses on sustainability and quality, and Clinton explains that this is also vital to consider: "Premiumisation is not just about the eating quality of the product but about the holistic message, in which key product attributes and the story about sustainable supply is conveyed to customers. It is our job along with restaurants and retail to ensure the care and attention that is taken by farmers and processors is properly communicated to customers. From our perspective, having a vertically integrated supply is an important message to convey and customers appreciate it."

Trends also include stuffed burgers, allowing restaurants to show some creativity with their offering. There's a lot of enthusiasm about filling September~October 2014 | Meat Packing Journal | 33

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burgers, especially with cheese incapsulated in the hamburger. However, the proper tools need to be used as it is easy to cross-contaminate meats and cheeses.

Howard adds: "You have to have the proper inside filling, because you want to keep it incapsulated in the ground beef - that's tough to do you and you don't want it exploding when you cook it. Technically what seasoning companies have done to keep the product in?

Whether it's a cheese sauce or mushroom sauce."

Wight explains that gourmet sliders are another growing trend; increasingly seen everywhere from restaurants and bars to festivals and fairs. Sliders are appearing more on restaurant menus, according to food research company Technomic’s digital MenuMonitor resource.

"Sliders, is a term to describe a mini burger.

Usually there is a variety involved in that with different toppings or stuffings. They are sold in a selection where you can sample different styles," explains Wight.

Howard explains that manufactures' equipment needs to be flexible so it can allow processors to create other products such as sliders as well as full size hamburgers. "We can make sliders and the changeover with our machine can happen in seconds. It is very quick and easy to change patty sizes and weights (patty diameters and thickness). It’s just a simple swap out of the forming die and then a height adjustment made to the low pressure flattening belt. Sliders is another growth market, if you go in and look at the menus of casual dining restaurants, you'll often find sliders on the menu. After a football game you might have a trio of sliders to tie you over until a big dinner."

Howard adds that customers can enjoy the

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benefits of a flexible production line with the Vemag FM250. An easy-to-change forming nozzle and the settings on the portioning computer of the vacuum filler allows quick product changeovers. The FM250 is controlled via the portioning computer of the vacuum filler.

The operator can vary the size of the product by making weight corrections on the portioning computer. Forming nozzles, which are pushed on allow a variety of shapes of product (for example, round, cylindrical, disc-shaped or individual shapes) to be made.

Provisur's Formax offers a number of machines for hamburger patty forming, which work with Formax's filling and tooling systems including Tender-Form and the HomeStyle Patty System, which allows customers to select the parameters it need to create their products. For example, the HomeStyle Patty System consists of any new or existing Formax forming machine feeding a HomeStyle Conveyor, allowing customers to produce fluffy, light homestyle patties. The system is very flexible, so customers can switch from producing a HomeStyle patty to other products on the same line within minutes with a mold plate change.

making the perfect burger Below: Reiser and Vemag have developed the FM250 to produce hamburger patties that eat and look homemade

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etermining the raw materials that will be used is vital, as the choices made will greatly affect the end product. Whether it is kobe or angus, the selection of the beef has a significant impact on the end product.

In addition, the lean-to-fat ratio of the meat

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is vital. It is generally accepted that ground beef that contains less than 15 percent fat makes dry and somewhat tasteless burgers, while fat above 30 percent can be off-putting for customers.

"There is a lot of flavour in the fat but the nutrition is in the lean meat, and housewives buying the meat from grocery stores want a grind with not as much fat in it as it's healthier," Howard says.

Pre-grinding is a common practice in almost all ground beef processes. The concept of pregrinding is to reduce raw materials to a size that will allow blending into a homogenous mass.

Pre-ground meat can then be sampled for lean point content and since the individual masses are now homogenous, the lean point will be representative of the entire amount of product in the blender or mixer.

Wight agrees that pre-grinding is essential to the quality of the end product. "Pregrinding definitely has a bearing on the overall quality of the hamburger, and that is sometimes overlooked. Pre-grinding and final grinding equipment and the methods used is as important, or perhaps more important, in www.meatpacking.info

FO R M ING

being able to achieve high quality burgers. Not only are people wanting a larger patty, but the texture and the consistency, the particle definition - all of those things are extremely important in being able to have a quality patty.

A lot of our equipment has been purposely designed to give you a higher quality patty."

Wight explains that its Dominator Series grinders virtually eliminates roll back, turbulence and unnecessary work to the raw material. The result is consistent particle definition, great texture, optimal bone and hard tissue removal and an overall premium end product.

Howard adds that there are two different ways of preparing meat to make hamburger patties: “You can separately grind, mix, and grind again in a three-step process, or a better way is a two-step process where you simultaneously mix and reduce in a bowl chopper and then give the product a final inline grind on the Vemag just prior to forming the patties."

Reiser has been supply Seydelmann bowl choppers and cutters since the 1960s.

Seydelmann offers a complete range of bowl choppers and cutters built of stainless steel, September~October 2014 | Meat Packing Journal | 35

B U R GE R

FO R M ING

which are ideal for applications that require mixing, particle reduction and emulsifying.

Reiser adds that the machines allow flexibility to change recipes. Product structures from course chopping to the finest emulsions can be achieved, all with a uniform, homogenous mixing of the ingredients.

the future

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Above: The high volume forming machine, Formax Maxum 700, is capable of making hamburger patties at the rate of 10,000 pounds per hour

s the global economy turns a corner, consumers are beginning to spend more on groceries, with quality, integrity and sustainability increasingly becoming the drivers that shape shopping choices. For example, according to the United States Department of Agriculture, consumer demand for organically produced goods continues to show double-digit growth. Organic products are now available in nearly 20,000 natural food stores and nearly three out of four conventional grocery stores.

Organic sales account for over four percent of total US food sales.

In December 2011, sustainable meat processor Dawn Meats invested in a â‚Ź14.5M (US$14.5) new purpose built burger processing facility in Caroll's Cross, Ireland, to meet a growing demand for its sustainable, quality meat. The investment created 65 new jobs and means that Dawn Meats now employs over 1,400 people in Ireland.

"We focus on producing premium products," explains Clinton. "Patty production is a key

element of how the product is consumed, so the success of our vertically integrated strategy required us to invest in additional capacity to meet the demand and allow for future growth.

In the last few years we've invested a lot of money to expand the capacity on the site using the latest energy efficiency, automation, robotics, and the longest freezer line of its kind in Europe to deliver a future proof solution."

Wight believes that the gourmet burger trend is going to be around for a while yet, with increasing interest from upscale restaurants: "While burgers has previously sold better on the retail side, the improved economics means that we're going out for meals. The gourmet burger is in the middle of the spectrum, perfectly suited for the midscale restaurants, but I think we'll be seeing burgers more and more in the upscale restaurants - where these restaurants will get creative with the burgers and we'll see all sorts of unusual toppings and stuffings that we've never seen before"

36 | Meat Packing Journal | September~October 2014

www.meatpacking.info

Are your hamburger patty sales just as flat as the patties themselves? Then you need our Vemag FM250 Patty Forming HOW THE Machine. The high-speed FM250 produces the lightest, fluffiest, juiciest, VEMAG FM250 and most tender patty you’ll ever sink your teeth into. Unlike conventional patty forming machines that use high-pressure to compress meat into flat, rubbery “pucks”, the FM250 uses a gentle, low-pressure system to form patties that look homemade and have a tender bite that no other machine can produce. Meat fibers are not crushed or destroyed on the FM250 – instead they retain their natural alignment so that the finished patty has the superior bite, texture and eating quality of a hand-made product.

Connected to a Vemag HP-E filler with an in-line grinder, the FM250 provides high output and exact weight portions. An inline Vemag Process Check checkweigher can be added to automatically monitor individual patty weights and adjust the filler – ensuring uniform weights and reduced giveaway. You can maximize production with an interleaver and/or stacker, as well as a high-speed shuttle conveyer to load freezer belts, oven belts and packaging machines.

can help your

P AT T Y S A L E S S O A R

Compressed patty made on a conventional forming machine.

Fluffy “homemade” style patty made only on the Vemag FM250.

www.reiser.com Reiser • Canton, MA • (781) 821-1290 Reiser Canada • Burlington, ON • (905) 631-6611 Reiser UK • Kingston, Milton Keynes • (01908) 585300 2014

Vemag HP 20E Filler with inline grinding, the FM250 and Process Check

d e c o mp o si t i o n

Winning the fight against decomposition starts with understanding the enemy. Technical editor James Chappelow looks at the bacteria, the effects of slaughter and the tools and chemicals available to slow the spoilage

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an's position at the head of the global food chain is not unchallenged. A myriad of microbiological agents are joined in battle over all foodstuffs of whatever origin or method of production. Put simply, all plant matter or animal flesh will eventually decompose. All food producers have to face this fact and work to slow the decomposition process to allow for the safe consumption of foods of all types around the world.

This presents particular problems to the Meat Industry. From the point of slaughter onwards all meat begins to decompose. All too soon this becomes obvious. The sense of smell tends to act as the early warning system that “there is something rotten in the state of Denmark”.

This may be due to the faecal smell of indole,of methyl-amine, hydrogen sulphide or what is described as a “cheesy” smell – all of which are the by-products of bacterial action. Visual cues such as changes in colour, often towards grey and brown,together with the appearance of slime, cause further concern. Confirmation comes from taste. It is possible, of course, that the consumer's senses may be misled. Packaged meats in particular may not smell as pleasant as expected and warnings concerning smell are becoming common, alongside the familiar

38 | Meat Packing Journal | September~October 2014

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Managing the microbes

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September~October 2014 | Meat Packing Journal | 39

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“use by” and “best before” labeling. On the whole, however, meat that is so far decomposed that it is no longer fir to eat tends to be selfidentifying.

The agents for the decomposition of meat are bacteria, yeasts and fungi. There are various levels of scientific classification of bacteria – such as aerobic and anaerobic, Gram-negative and Gram-positive – which may be studied. A few examples will suffice to demonstrate the typical impact of these organisms on carcasses and processed meats: Enterococcus. In various studies this was found to be the most dominant bacteria being present on 99% of chicken, turkey, pork and beef in a study carried out in the state of Iowa

(Hayes, 2003) Pseudomas. This is one of the most common causes of spoilage and decomposition in meat.

It is described as “ubiquitous” meaning that it is simply found everywhere. It accounts for 90% of the bacterial flora on the carcasses stored in chill rooms. Pseudomas uses carbohydrates as its energy sources but it is also capable of breaking down amino acids which produces the typical odour of putrefaction.

Brochothrix Thermosphactor. This bacteria is active in breaking down meat – such as DFD (Dark Firm Dry) – with a high pH value.

Shewanella Putrifactus thrives in vacuum packing to produce a characteristic hydrogen sulphide smell.

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Lactobacillus is active in modified atmosphere packaging as it is Carbon Dioxide tolerant even at levels of 60%. It is responsible for a sour cheesy odor.

Optimum conditions for the growth of these and many other bacteria are provided by the combination of three factors: temperature, water activity (aw- water that is not bound to food molecules) and pH levels (acidity).

The impact of temperature is the most dramatic. If a piece of meat were to be left out in the air on a reasonable summers day (e.g. 25oC) the number of bacteria on it would double every 20 minutes and from there being 10 bacteria at the start, after 6 hours there would be over two and a half million.(This is an example of an averaged situation as different bacteria will grow at different rates at different temperatures.) Refrigeration slows the process down considerably, although many bacteria survive in minus temperatures even though they are not multiplying quickly. At 0 degrees centigrade bacteria may take up to 38 hours to divide in two. Cooking to a temperature

slaughter the fatty acids of the animal -lipids – undergo oxidisation when blood circulation and normal metabolism stop. This leads to the oxidative deterioration of meat and the development of off flavours. Autolytic enzymatic spoilage also takes place. Enzymes act as catalysts for chemical processes that contribute to the decomposition of meat. These include the postmortem breakdown of polypeptides which control the flavour and textural changes in meat.

The upshot of this process is the tenderisation of meat. This is a side-effect that can be useful to the meat producer and valued by the consumer.

Wild animal and bird flesh is only regarded as properly palatable if “well hung”. This might also be called “partially decomposed.”

In relation to ageing before consumption, butchers now use two different methods. The traditional way is dry ageing. This involves putting meat on hooks in a very cold store room. As the activity of bacteria is slowed in such a process the unpleasant side-effects of decomposition do not spoil the meat before it is sold. The flavour is, instead enhanced – often

the imact of temperature is the most dramatic of at least 160 degrees centigrade will kill bacteria, but, of course, as soon as such meats are exposed to the atmosphere again they become subject to attack from new bacteria and decomposition starts again.

Yeasts and fungi are more successful as agents of decomposition when conditions do not suit bacteria. In particular, examples of both are able to thrive at low aw levels and where pH levels are lower (higher acidity). As with many bacteria, yeast and fungal spores are extremely common in the environment and may cause contamination through airborne transmission. Both meat production plants and the packaging used (especially cardboard) may become contaminated with yeast and fungal spores. Fungi are the more common cause of spoilage and decomposition in meat and they form characteristic “hairy” moulds, which are often green in colour, on the surfaces of meats.

Fungi are aerobic organisms and require oxygen to grow.

Post slaughter, the changes begin

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nce an animal is dead chemical changes will start. The effect of these changes is to hasten decomposition as their by-products encourage the growth of bacteria. After www.meatpacking.info

described as buttery – and the meat becomes more tender. More commonly used in a quicker process because of high demand is wet ageing.

This is achieved by putting the meat inside a vacuum bag to sit in its own moisture. There is a lack of agreement over how long tis process should take and supermarkets are criticised for not ageing meat for long enough and selling a product that will not be tender. Dry aged meat tends to be more expensive while wet aged that has been frozen is criticised because of the amount of water that it loses on defrosting, which gives the impression that consumers are paying for water.

spurring the spoilage

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he pH level of meat contributes both to its quality and the rate at which spoilage and decomposition take place. When the pH levels are lower Pale, Soft and Exudative (PSE) meat is produced and when pH levels are higher Dark, Firm and Dry (DFD) meat is the result. When PSE meat is produced it is a result of higher levels of lactic acid which leads to a breakdown of proteins and this in turn contributes to optimum conditions for bacterial growth. The fluctuations in pH levels have been shown by Grandin and others to follow stress in animals prior to slaughter. Once again the September~October 2014 | Meat Packing Journal | 41

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impact on the meat processing industry of poor animal husbandry is clear: more poor quality meat – either DFD or PSE – and meat that will have a shorter shelf life due to the earlier onset of spoilage and decomposition.Trauma sends the animal into shock and activates the decomposition process more quickly.

Conditions and practices at both a slaughterhouse and within a meat processing plant present many extrinsic factors that will alter the shelf life of meat. The most common place to find bacteria in healthy living animals is in their intestinal tract and on their skin. It is important that evisceration and skinning of animals are accomplished with this in mind.

There must be a clear demarkation between the processes that immediately follow slaughter and the further preparation of meat products.

Efforts need to be made to keep the temperature of processing plants as cool as possible . This will minimise the growth rate of bacteria. A low ambient temperature will also discourage the growth of bacteria on machinery and work surfaces. Storage should at least be chilled and packaging materials also kept cold. The various processes of butchery – cutting, dicing and grinding – all have the effect of increasing the surface area of the meat which means that there are more opportunities for colonisation by bacteria.

Chemical changes represent the major intrinsic quality that affects the speed of decomposition of meat. Other factors include the type of animal; the breed of animal and the nature of the feedstuff; the age and health of the animal at time of slaughter, with already sick animals not entering the food chain; the initial levels of microflora present; and the availability of oxygen.

battling bacteria

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ver centuries different methods have been used to try to stave off spoilage and decomposition in meat. It has long been understood that storing meat at low temperatures has a beneficial effect. It is now known that the growth of bacteria will be slowed or even stopped in this way. To lower the temperature of meat is the most commonly used method of preservation in the modern meat packing industry. It is also highly convenient to consumers for whom fridge/ freezers have become the domestic norm. It is worth reiterating, however, that the psychrophilic group of bacteria, yeasts and fungi are not prevented by all levels of refrigeration and chemical changes in the meat will continue but at a slow rate. Nevertheless, at sufficiently low 42 | Meat Packing Journal | September~October 2014

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temperatures properly frozen meat will remain good to eat for at least a year and up to two years.The fuller details of chilling, freezing and super-chilling will be dealt with separately in the next edition of Meat Packing Journal.

Other traditional ways of preserving meat may be called collectively “controlled water activity methods”. Most meat is classified as a moist food as it has a high aw rating of over 0.85. (The aw scale runs from 0 – absolute dryness – to 1 – condensed humidity.)Micro organisms tend to grow best at aw values of between 0.98 and 0.995 and growth ceases at aw levels below 0.9 in most cases. Yeasts and moulds can grow at a low aw of 0.6. The aim of preservation is therefore to reduce aw levels in meat. This can be achieved by refrigeration but also by drying methods, through the additional barriers supplied in curing processes or a combination of all three. Products such as Parma Ham demonstrate the effectiveness of such preservation methods.

The use of Sodium Chloride – common salt – for preservation has a long history. Sodium Chloride is a source of osmotic stress and decreases water activity and commonly found bacteria, such as Pseudimonas are salt sensitive as its addition at 4% will reduce aw levels from 0.99 to 0.97. Other species are eliminated at higher concentrations and with only a 3% addition of salt in sausage manufacture combined with a six day drying period the growth of the pathogenic bacteria Salmonella was stopped. While there is now debate about the efficacy of the use of significant quantities of salt in food processing, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration lists curing salts as “Generally Recognised as Safe” Various sugars, including dextrose, sucrose, brown sugar, corn syrup, lactose, molasses, starches and honey are all used in dry meat processing to enhance flavour, reduce the harshness of salt and lower water activity.

The latter function has been demonstrated to minimise the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and the addition of 5% sugar in some circumstances eliminates Salmonella growth at a temperature of 75 degrees centigrade.Again, sugars are GRAS-listed by the USDFA but the current debate about the widespread inclusion of sugars in processed foods of all kinds flavour enhances and preservatives.

Along-side the traditional preservatives meat processors have turned at other chemical preservatives that are anti-microbiological.

Rules and regulations covering their use differ widely around the world as there are conflicting opinions on possible health risks. These chemical additives – chlorides, nitrites, sulphides and organic acids – may be used throughout the www.meatpacking.info

September~October 2014 | Meat Packing Journal | 43

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meat processing procedures. Their actions vary with the type of microbiological species as well as the variance in both the intrinsic and extrinsic factors already outlined. They should not be used to compensate for poor processing condition. The basic HACCP guidelines should always be followed.

Some common examples of chemical controls of microbiological growth include: A mixture of Sodium Chloride and Sodium Lactate reduced the microbiological growth to such an extent that shelf life of ground beef was significantly extended during refrigeration and Sodium Lactate by itself was found to extend shelf life of meats from 8 days to up to 24 days.

Sodium Nitrite and Potassium Nitrite are both colour and flavour enhancers but they also retard rancidity which is caused by bacteria.

They are particularly effective in controlling the anaerobic bacteria which are commonly

rot if the conditions are right.

This is now backed up by experimental evidence. The main reason why the burgers are slow to rot – not just McDonald 's burgers – is because of their dryness and the cooking process. The buns that they are in are toasted – killing any fungal spores – and the meat is thoroughly cooked-killing any bacteria. After this, the surface area of both bun and meat is such that when the burger is left uneaten it will dry out completely in three days. This creates an inhospitable environment for colonisation by bacteria, yeast and fungi. If, instead of leaving the burger to dry it is sealed inside a plastic bag and kept in a warm room then there is sufficient moisture for the normal processes of decomposition to take place. The chemical preservatives that are used in burgers are, in fact, of low concentrations -there is, for example, less salt than many other processed foods – and they

all burgers will rot if the conditions are right found in vacuum packages. There are limits on the use of these chemicals because of fears of their links with cancer which are still subject to investigation Sulphites are effective against aerobic Gramnegative bacteria. They have been used in the production of sausages as they are effective in controlling pathogenic Salmonella. They are not on the GRAS-list as they have the effect of degrading the vitamin thiamine.

Lactic Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Benzoic Acid and Sorbic Acid also appear in the ingredients list of processed meat products and each makes a contribution as a preservative by reacting to bacteria.yeasts and fungi in different ways.

would not save the burger from its natural route to decomposition.

Meat producers do their best to present food that is palatable, visually good, in sufficient quantities to meet demand and at reasonable prices. When it reaches the table meeting these conditions then they have won the decomposition battle

references and further reading

laims and counter claims continuously circulate about whether or not McDonald's burgers rot. David Whipple produced a 14 year old McDonald's burger that did not rot. To this were added many other examples, some older, where the photographs suggested that this was indeed the case. Unfortunately this then became the centre of an argument about fast foods and the use of preservatives by meat producers. The conclusion was rapidly reached that chemical additives were responsible for this phenomenon.

While it may not be surprising to find that McDonalds had claimed to have found the elixir of eternal life, in fact the company was steadfast in taking a far more scientific line than their detractors. They made it clear that burgers will

P.D.Wains. Meat Science: An Introductory Text.

D.Dave and A.E.Ghaly, 2011. Meat spoilage mechanisms and preservation techniques: A critical review.

Dr Roy Betts. Microbial update – Yeasts and Moulds. International Food Hygiene — Volume 21 Number 5 Phil Daost, 26/10/2011. Spoilt Rotten: Good and Bad Mould. The Guardian.

Alison Bonor, 2009. What makes meat tender? Surrey Food Examiner DeBragger. New York's Butcher: Wet age or Dry age – What's the difference?

R.C. Rendle and G.Keeley. Chemistry in the Meat Industry.

David I Ellis et al. Rapid and quantitive detection of the microbial spoilage of meat.

Dr P Voysey. Microbial Food Spoilage J.Kenji Lopez, 2010: Revisiting the myth of the 12 year old McDonald's burger that just won't rot. The Burger Lab

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mcdonald's debate

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The loss and the cost Aaron Brody’s development of modified atmospheric packaging, in the 1950s, along with that of Dick Perdue, has helped save the industry billions of dollars in waste, and delivered consumers fresh, nutritional, food, at prices that would otherwise be impossible. But, he tells Tom Burnett, supermarkets’ fear of loss of jobs at retail level and of consumers’ irrational perceptions of red meat freshness has retarded much greater savings

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aron brody first developed modified atmospheric packaging (MAP) in the 1950s, while working for Whirlpool Corporation. He says, “We had the intention of enhancing the domestic refrigerator.

We never incorporated it into a domestic refrigerator, we incorporated it into fresh meat and produce distribution.”

Shortly after Brody’s development of MAP for fresh produce, in the 1960s Dick Perdue developed the Cryovac system for fresh meat.

The result of the two innovations was massive savings in costs and waste, making it possible to cheaply and efficiently deliver fresh and nutritious food to the world’s rapidly growing population.

Brody says, “When you’re talking about fresh produce, compared to where we started, we are talking about five to ten times the normal shelf life. In the case of ground meat, we’re doubling the shelf life. For intact cuts of beef, we’re talking about increasing the shelf life two or three times.

“The packaging industry has made amazing strides in changing the distribution system for fresh red meats. It changed the meat system from bringing cattle on the hoof to stockyards in cities, to packing in central locations, in Colorado, Iowa, near the feed lots. I know there’s a bunch of people who think that’s terrible, but it’s very effective. We’re not shipping bone and offal, we’re not shipping whole animals, we’re only shipping meat.

“It changed the industry completely. Food waste is down enormously, resulting in billions 46 | Meat Packing Journal | September~October 2014

and billions of dollars of savings, as well as billions of pounds of reduced waste.”

Brody has been a faculty member at the University of Georgia for 19 years. Here, he is still working to improve MAP: “Lately, I’ve been working on developing a system with much reduced oxygen level, going down to ppm, even parts per billion. If we go to oxygen levels of parts per billion, we can further extend shelf life and support enhanced chilled shelf life.”

Refrigeration is key to the MAP system.

Brody says, “MAP is an enhancement to refrigeration. It doesn’t work without it.” In MAP and Cryovac systems, careful control of the internal atmosphere of the package, combined with refrigeration, helps ensure a balance of microorganisms that keeps the product fresh.

Brody explains, “Meat is not a sterile product.

We use these microorganisms, we take advantage of them. We allow those to respire, remove oxygen, and produce carbon dioxide. Then we want to maintain a specific concentration, a balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide, to extend the shelf life. The microorganisms will continue to grow at a very reduced rate. There’s an equilibrium that takes place.

“We engineer the package material and structure, so we have a very specific oxygen and carbon dioxide ratio. That’s mostly in fresh produce like lettuce and strawberry.

The situation in Cryovac systems, they use a complete oxygen-barrier material, this allow the microorganisms in the package to use up the oxygen dioxide (which is why the colour changes)and produce carbon. www.meatpacking.info

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People say ‘Don’t eat any meat, we’re wasting the planet’s resources’, and then they say, ‘If you do eat meat, it has to be range fed, killed yesterday’. It’s nonsense Aaron Brody

“We don’t want pathogenic microorganisms to grow As a result of that, we’re very careful not to reduce oxygen to zero. We can get anaerobic microorganisms like Clostridium that can grow in a zero oxygen environment. So, we want some microorganisms that will overwhelm the pathogens. It’s a relatively crude equilibrium we have to establish. That’s what the Cryovac system does.”

“The main thing to worry about there is temperature, temperature, temperature. If you don’t have temperature control you don’t have anything. You need temperature control when you pack meat, temperature control in the distribution channel, and it would be great to have temperature control at supermarket.

The meat packers are working under chilled conditions, at 35–38°F. Distribution is happening at 31°F. And then at retail www.meatpacking.info

temperature control breaks down.”

Monitor and control

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ith refrigeration, enhanced by the package’s internal atmosphere, so vital to maintaining the correct low growth rate of microorganisms, it’s important to know if temperature control has broken down. Active and intelligent packaging systems allow this.

In intelligent packaging, changes in the environment are signalled in the distribution change, allowing operators to act appropriately.

Brody says, “Intelligent packaging is a system where something in the package senses changes in the environment, and signals that something needs to be done. For example, if temperature went to high, so someone would crank down the September~October 2014 | Meat Packing Journal | 47

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natural conditions, only organic. It’s amazing the kind of perceptions that consumers have over what constitutes freshness, what constitutes nutritional value, what is sustainable, what constitutes being good for the planet. You put organic on it, and you have a class of people who will buy it.”

The result is that one of the vital pillars of MAP breaks down when food reaches the retailer. Brody says, “The supermarkets generally will not touch pre-packaged fresh meat product.

In my area, there’s a substantial change, where the public has to see a butcher in the back room doing it. Across the street there’s someone using pre-packaged meat.

“We’ve been at this for 60 years, and we haven’t made much progress at all. Well, we have, half the ground beef in the US is centrally packed, but what about the other half? Why has it taken 60 years? It makes technological sense, nutritional sense, quality sense, economical sense. With intact cuts, only 20% of the meat is centrally packed, and we’ve been fighting for it for 60 years.

“We’ve argued this point for 40 years, 50

temperature. Or the oxygen went too high, and you crank down the oxygen.”

Active packaging takes this a stage further, with the package responding directly to environmental changes. Brody says, “In active packaging, the package material contain chemicals or physical devices, that will measure what’s going in the pack, and change the packing material to increase or reduce the oxygen to maintain the internal environment, as the internal microorganisms are still acting.

“We have packaging materials now that will change their oxygen and carbon dioxide permeation with changes in temperature. It’s used mostly for produce today.”

With the right level of control of atmosphere, freshness can be drastically extended. Brody cites Larry Bell’s products Bluwrap and SustainablyFresh.com. He says, “Bluwrap is currently confined to fresh fish fillets from Chile to US by ship, where it delivers 45 days shelf life. Bell's more recent venture is also mainly for fresh fish but also addresses fresh meat. It offers tight control of temperature and oxygen concentration.”

Consumers want to have the perception that if it’s in the supermarket, it’s just been cut as they’re walking in the door Aaron Brody

Uninformed choice ith such potential for efficiency, why hasn’t MAP been more widely taken up?

The root problem, Brody says, is consumer misperception.

This sort of irrationality, Brody says, is demonstrated by consumers who at the same time condemn the meat industry for being unsustainable, and then demand even more unsustainable methods of slaughter and distribution. “People say ‘Don’t eat any meat, we’re wasting the planet’s resources’, and then they say, ‘If you do eat meat, it has to be range fed, killed yesterday’. It’s nonsense.”

The problem, perhaps, is that many consumers want to imagine themselves living in a rural idyll, rather than a complex modern economy of hundreds of millions of people. Brody says, “The majority of consumers want to have this perception that if it’s in the supermarket, it’s just been cut instantly as they’re walking in the door.

In fact, you have an extreme version of these people, who have to see it being cut, in order to believe it has any value.

“Then you have the notion of range-fed,

years, and the retailers come back with questions like, ‘How much shelf life can we get?’ Walmart and Target put a short expiration date on meat.

It’s a waste of food. The problem isn’t overcome.

“Why can’t we have 100% case ready meat in supermarkets? Because they don’t have the temperature control in delivery. I’ve seen it done commercially, not in the US, but in a big multistore operation: temperature control can work.

You can have complete control over the meat from the time of kill until the consumer picks it up.

“You then get the extended shelf life, you get the reduction of waste. The technology is a bit expensive, but the waste that goes on in a back room operation, where you bring in the primal cuts, chuck, grind the meat, in a backroom, is also expensive. The waste is crazy in places like that.

“We have the ability to extend safe, quality, shelf life. The potential application of MAP at a retail level is great. That’s what those who are doing case ready are doing. But it is still pretty slim. When you see a comprehensive, everything -involved system, as I have seen outside the US, you say, “Why don’t we do it?” Because supermarkets fear losing some customers”

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Preserving a vacuum

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Choosing the right packaging system and components is vital to delivering the sort of effective modified atmospheric packaging system discussed in this month’s expert view.

Here, Tom Burnett, examines some of the systems and components on offer.

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fficient packaging requires the right combination of equipment and packaging components. Multivac offers integrated packaging systems, working with customers to develop a wide range of solutions, including packaging systems. Multisorb provides packaging materials and components specially tailored to the needs of each end product. Busch and Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum design vacuum pumps that are vital to running packaging systems without

pump pioneers

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t the heart of the vacuum packing system is the pump. Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum is one of the pioneers of this technology. Pierre Lantheaume, global market support manager, food and pack, says, “Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum offers a broad range of advanced vacuum solutions, for use in a wide variety of manufacturing purposes.

Being the pioneer of vacuum technology with more than 165 years of experience in industrial applications, coating, analytical

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and R&D markets, Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum also offers state-of-the-art vacuum pumps and standardized or customized vacuum systems for the Food and Packaging market.

“The vacuum requirements of the food industry show different expectation levels: from an OEM point of view, pump performances (effective pumping speed and ultimate pressure) and cost are of course the major factors, but other parameters such as compactness are also very important. OEMs need the design to be sturdy and reliable and easy to be installed into their equipment. The new innovative screw pump DRYVAC 650, offering an extremely optimized ratio of pumping speed versus footprint is a very good example. OEMs also look for cleanability: the ease of the wash down process is paramount as cleaning is often carried out on a daily basis to ensure food safety.

“End users look at the requirements with more attention for environmental details and service ability. One of the points gaining importance here is the reduction of noise emission which results in improvement of the working conditions for the operators. End-users look for low heat emission, thus being fully in line with the necessary trend to reduce energy

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consumption. Indeed, packaging and processing lines are often installed in temperature controlled rooms. Therefore it is important that the pump either does not generate too much heat, or can be installed outside the production area in the case of central vacuum systems.

“The ability to service is also becoming a major point.

Customers want as little need for service as possible.

Dry screw pumps typically require no oil exchange; the pumps are maintenance free for several tens of thousands of hours, thus ensuring process stability and lower cost of ownership.

“Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum offers a variety of pumps and components which can cover all those requirements,” Lantheaume says, “The proven and cost effective oil sealed pump range Sogevac, available up to 1200 m³/h, is widely used by the food industry in standard, ‘pump friendly applications’ such as chamber machine, thermoforming, tray sealing or filling process. Need for service has been reduced to the minimum and the oil exchange and exhaust filter replacement has been facilitated by design.

“But some processes have special requirements: our Sogevac SV Hydro pump is designed for users who are working with heated products emitting higher amounts of water vapour. The Hydro range is equipped with bigger gas ballast, which increases the water vapour capacity. The Hydro range is a good compromise between standard oil seal pumps and more expensive dry screw pumps, which by the way, have enormous water capacity.

“Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum also offers an oil sealed pump called Oxygen, designed for modified atmospheric packaging (MAP).

Customers are often unaware of the potential risk, but the standard hydrocarbon pump oil when getting in contact with oxygen in high concentration can lead to a powerful explosion.

Our Oxygen pumps are therefore filled in with an inert PFPE fluid (perfluoropolyether) which does not react with oxygen. Although this fluid is more expensive than mineral oil, its lifetime is also much superior. PFPE fluids are typically not exchanged but simply drained, filtered and refilled into the pump.

“On all Sogevac sealed pumps, the first level

maintenance, like oil changes and exhaust filters, is very easy to do by the end user, especially after being trained, at, for example, our Leybold Academy.

It is simple to learn and time and cost effective. On a regular basis, the vacuum pumps need a complete overhaul, to a schedule depending on the application challenges and how well the customer has looked after the pump. For the overhaul, the pumps needs to be taken apart and all wearing parts like seals, vanes, bearings and exhaust filters are being replaced.

Depending on the application and the care the customer has paid to the product, this procedure is required every five to ten years.”

Over recent years, in many markets, processors are increasingly looking to move vacuum pumps off of individual machines, and into a centralised pump room. Lantheaume says, “Vacuum centralization is a developing trend in countries where the price of energy has become a concern. This is the case in Europe for example, where if a big meat processing company is building a new plant; they will definitely consider central vacuum system, as it offers a lot of advantages to individual pump supplying one machine. In terms of uptime, the systems guarantees a redundancy, so if one pump fails, there will be no line stop. Also maintenance is easier, because the pumps are installed in a dedicated technical room which can be accessed at any time, without the need to take the pumps from the machine.

The customer can schedule the necessary maintenance, and just stop one pump, while the others take over its pumping requirements.

“These central vacuum systems provide a significant energy consumption reduction. By having pumps connected together on a vacuum network, the customer can reduce the installed power by as much as 20-30%. This is explained by the fact that on such a system, pumps can work in hidden time and build in vacuum in the buffer reservoir for the next cycle, whereas in the case of pumps individually installed on machines, there is only a limited time where it has some effective use. The rest of the time is the individual pumps are running idly.

“Another advantage of a central vacuum system is the reduction of the noise level. The pumps are taken away from the production

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area. This improves the working conditions for the operators. Even if Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum pumps are silent in comparison to competitive products, it is still an asset and additional benefit if the customer can remove the operating sounds completely and thus improve the working environment.”

Material design

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ultisorb considers itself the world leader in active packaging technology. Jim Renda, president, Multisorb Technologies, says this is an area where every product is different: “Although the oxygen scavenger products you see in the market look simple, there is actually a lot of science and technology involved in supplying the right solution to the customer.

When the meat is placed in the package and gas flushed, there is still residual oxygen in the meat itself and some of the packaging. Our job is to bring this as close to zero as possible, as quickly as possible.

“We have been in business since 1961 and our only focus is active packaging. We have operations in the USA and UK with offices and warehouse/distribution centers around the world. One of the four global markets we serve is food and beverage. In this market, we provide not only the extension of shelf life and freshness, but also improved sustainability and the opportunity for a cleaner label. The largest segment of sustainability is food waste, and Multisorb’s technology helps reduce this by extending product shelf life and freshness thereby reducing the amount of food that is wasted. In addition, at the retailer level the biggest concern in this area is shrink or spoilage whereby product has to be marked down quickly or scrapped. Also, by using our technology, preservatives can be reduced in a food product, thereby cleaning up the product label.”

The company’s products help both preserve meat products, and present them appealing to customers. Renda says, “The basic fundamental in all cases is to quickly reduce the oxygen level in the package in order to prevent oxidation of the product which can cause degradation of flavor, color and freshness.

The technology is not simple. In virtually every situation our solution is designed to the specific customer application and specification. A big mistake that many meat packers and processors make is to think that oxygen scavengers are an off-the-shelf item that you just toss into the package. When they do this or think that way, they usually www.meatpacking.info

Above: Mecapack's inline tray sealer system powered with Oerlikon pumps

have a problem. By working with the packer or processor, we focus on the specific package including the packaging material and the product in the package.

“In the meat industry this normally falls into a few categories including fresh meats and processed meats such as sliced deli, jerky, sausage, etc. When we complete research and testing an optimized solution is presented to the customer to meet their shelf life requirements.

A very good example is our Maplox program for fresh meat. There is no question that the global market is heading into case-ready meat.

In this case the meat is packaged at a central processing location. The packages are placed in a master bag where they are protected by our optimized FreshPax CR oxygen absorbers. They are then delivered to the retailer who can store the packages and then place them in the display case as needed.

“This helped revolutionize the industry by providing for a longer supply chain, which helps processors control costs through inventory control and allows retailers to be more efficient in managing their meat category. In addition, it also eliminates the hygiene concern of processing the meat behind the counter in a store. Meat processors around the world have absolutely outstanding levels of cleanliness and control to assure that the meat supply, whether whole muscle or ground beef, is safe when sold to the consumer.”

Multisorb offers three main choices of sorbents: drop in, fit in, and built in. Renda explains, “The real goal is to provide the best solution to meet the customer requirements.

Once it is determined what is required we can offer the customer the best potential solutions.

Drop in solution often has the most versatility

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A Busch in the Black Forest

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hen black Forest-speciality meat product manufacturer Schwarzwaldhof Fleisch- und WurstwarenWww’s factory manager Bernd Goder wanted to improve the efficiency of his plant’s vacuum packing, he picked a system from Busch.

Until 2004, the vacuum supply was integrated directly into each packaging machine. As the operation grew, Bernd Goder contemplated removing the vacuum pumps from the production and packing areas in order to reduce noise emissions and to prevent the exhaust air from the vacuum pumps from coming into contact with the foodstuffs. He also wanted to avoid maintenance personnel carrying out maintenance work on the vacuum pumps in the production area, as this posed a risk to hygiene and interfered with the packaging process.

A new central vacuum unit was commissioned in 2004. This was designed

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and developed by the Busch vacuum specialists. Since then, the central vacuum unit has supplied all ten packaging lines, which are equipped with both thermoforming machines and rotary machines, and are used for vacuum packaging using protective gas (MAP) such as CO2 or N2. The central vacuum unit has a redundant structure, which significantly increases operational reliability as it prevents any performance losses in the event of a component failure.

After over eight years in operation, Goder is extremely satisfied with the central vacuum unit. During this time there has not been a single failure or breakdown.

What he values most is the flexibility that he now has in terms of maintenance of the vacuum supply. The redundancy of the system enables individual vacuum pumps to be switched off for maintenance during operation. This means that all maintenance

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work can be carried out during the normal working hours without having any effect on production. The system is housed in an engineering room and is completely separate from production, ensuring that maintenance personnel do not have to enter any production areas.

The Busch central vacuum unit offers a further significant advantage: it requires far less energy as a large amount of the required suction capacity is generated using Panda Roots vacuum pumps. Roots vacuum pumps generate the same suction capacity as rotary vane vacuum pumps with just one fifth or less of the energy, allowing considerable energy savings to be made.

During the first pump-down stage, the central vacuum is technically designed to generate a low vacuum of approximately 50 millibars in a vacuum buffer. The second stage involves reaching ultimate vacuum in another vacuum buffer, and this corresponds

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to the vacuum in the packaging.

By opening the main valve on the packaging chamber, the sealing chamber, which is under atmospheric pressure, is connected to the pre-evacuated buffer volumes and thus evacuated immediately.

This process is far superior to decentralised evacuation as pressure compensation takes place at nearly the speed of sound. This technique not only has the advantage of creating a production facility that is completely clean and silent, but also offers the greatest possible output from the packaging machines – regardless of how far away the vacuum generation is from the the packaging process.

Another part of the system maintains the vacuum for the moulding station on the thermoforming machines. A reserve pump is available in stand-by mode for when maintenance work is being carried out or if a vacuum pump were to break down

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because you can provide it in many different performance levels. The fit in solution is popular in processed meats because the meat package itself is smaller and a self-adhesive solution can be placed beneath the product label and out of sight. The built in solution does not have the versatility of the others.

There are limitations to how much active technology can be put into film and requires a close collaboration between us and the customer in order to determine the best solution for the application.

“The real goal is to provide the best solution to meet the customer requirements.

Once it is determined what is required we can offer the customer the best potential solutions.

Drop in solution often has the most versatility because you can provide it in many different performance levels. The fit in solution is popular in processed meats because the meat package itself is smaller and a self-adhesive solution can be placed beneath the product label and out of sight. The built in solution does not have the versatility of the others.

There are limitations to how much active technology can be put into film and requires a close collaboration between us and the

customer in order to determine the best solution for the application.”

One recent new innovation generated from Multisorb’s close collaboration is Jerky Fresh, designed for dried meat products. Renda says, “Our Maplox programme has clearly helped in the expansion of case-ready meats by dramatically increasing sales at the retail level.

JerkyFresh was developed specifically to serve the jerky meat product category. We had seen a lot of different off -the-shelf oxygen scavengers in jerky products and questioned their reliability.

Due to this, we decided to develop a product specifically for this segment that is optimized and meets the market requirements.”

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the integrated system

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ultivac, based in Wolfertschwenden, Germany, has more than 4,200 staff worldwide, with more than 70 subsidiaries giving it a presence on every continent. The company’s product range includes thermoform packaging machines, tray sealers, vacuum chamber machines, conveyor belt machines, labelers, quality control systems, and automation

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solutions, as well as turn-key packaging lines.

Multivac packages all types of food products, medical and pharmaceutical supplies and industrial goods.

Multivac provides flexible solutions for all kind of packaging requirements, designed specifically to meet the individual needs of a particular application. Senior director, corporate marketing, Valeska Haux, says, “Multivac targets all kind of food processors, independently of their size as we have a portfolio which offers packaging solutions both for small processors as well as for large scale producers of food products. We also have a very close contact to the retailers in order to discuss market trends and market requirements but at the end the food processor is our customer who will invest in our equipment.”

The systems have an open machine structure, into which new modules, for transportation or positioning for example, can easily be integrated. All components can be fully synchronized to prevent any loss of technical or economic efficiency.

Multivac also has a range of innovative handling modules oriented precisely to the positioning and transportation tasks within the packaging chain. Multivac says its packaging solutions offer secure, reliable processes, which are continuously monitored from start to finish, with visual inspection systems, sensors, and operator-related recording of process parameters, to comply with all applicable safety and hygiene standards.

One factor which has a critical influence on the development of Multivac packaging solutions is sustainability. Sustainability always comes from an optimal combination of ecological and economic considerations.

Multivac takes care of both aspects: for instance, it encourages the reduction of packaging material consumption as well as the implementation of systems which contribute to the reduction of energy and water consumption.

Haux says, “Multivac has implemented a comprehensive Hygienic Design for all machines which are being built for the food industry. The other added value we offer to our customers is that our packaging solutions are always tailored to their needs: technology, capacity and level of automation will be individually designed for the respective application. In addition to that, all our equipment is designed is such a way that the consumption of ressources (packaging material, energy and water) is as low as possible.”

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Re-sealing the deal Dutch packaging equipment Selo has developed an efficient resealable packaging system for sliced meats and other products. After seeing good sales in mainland Europe, it is now seeing interest in the UK, Chris Keenan tells Tom Burnett

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elo has its roots in the food industry.

Chris Keenan, the company’s UK sales manager, says, “The company predominantly supplies processing and packaging equipment into the food industry.

In recent years, we’ve started moving into pharmaceuticals, but, the majority of our machine sales are into the food industry. We sell fresh meat slicers that work with our flow wrapping machines. We also sell meat dicing equipment, as well as meat mixers and grinders for use at the early stage of processing.”

Based in the Netherlands, but reaching across the English Channel to customers in the UK, Selo finds itself working with two main types of customers. Keenan says, “Packaging design and concepts are heavily driven in the UK by the supermarkets. Our head offices are in the Netherlands. There, the food producers are far more dominant in the say they have in their packaging. In the UK, it’s far more driven by the supermarkets.”

n both sides of the Channel, Selo is seeing demand for packaging that continues to provide retail customers’ benefits once the pack has been opened. Keenan says, “Predominantly it’s a question of presentation and preservation.

At the moment, resealable packaging seems to be very popular. Customers are looking at different concepts for use with sliced meats and cheeses. We’ve all purchased sliced hams, and then had to wrap cellophane around it to keep fresh. There’s a lot of concentration now on trying to find a reliable resealable pack.

“We offer two main different formats of resealable packs: resealable flow wrap, and stand

up pouches. Stand-up pouches are used for end products like the packs Uncle Ben’s sauces come in. A flow wrap is like a packet of crisps, with a seal at the top, bottom, and underneath the pack. The difference between the flow wrap pack and the stand-up pouch, is that in flow wrap the packaging is made from a roll of film. The packaging machine makes a tube, seals it below, and then the pack goes through cutting section that will cut and seal at each end of pack. The stand-up pouch is provided pre-made with one open side to be sealed after the product is added.

“The packaging material for the flow wrap is cheaper, but the equipment costs around the same. The stand-up pouches are used more for ready meals and convenience products, where you have a protein and sauce. The reason to use a stand-up pouch is if the product needs to go through another cooking process. The seal integrity has to be extremely reliable to go through this process. With a stand-up pouch, three of the seals have already been made in a controlled environment. We just have to make sure the final seal has the right integrity. The three sides are made in the perfect conditions, while in a meat packing factory it can be a hostile working environment: a bit cold, a bit wet, with product in and around the seal area.

“Ensuring the integrity of the fourth seal on a stand-up pouch, depends on a combination of temperature, pressure, timing and cooling. As

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Ready to cook

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we are applying a lot of temperature to the seal area, before the pack leaves the machine, we want to cool it a bit to make sure its integrity is safe for further processing.

“With stand-up pouches, the processor will often cook again for preservation and for microbiological reasons, to ensure the products are safe. If it’s a chill product, it’s going in a chiller and then to the retail customer’s fridge, so this isn’t needed. But if it it’s an ambient product, it will go through this further process, and a package like a stand-up pouch with a highly reliable seal is needed.

“For flow wrap, for things like frozen mince, which goes in a freezer, this doesn’t matter.

If it’s fresh mince, kept in the supermarket chilled, taken home, kept in the fridge and then cooked, again, this doesn’t matter. But if you’re producing say, diced meat in a sauce, to be kept on the shelf, like cooking sauces, it will need go through that further process.”

Truly resealable

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hile stand-up pouches are well established for cook-in sauces and other products, Selo’s latest innovation, resealable flow wrap packs, is posed to make an impact in the UK after a successful launch in mainland Europe.

Keenan says, “Resealable flow packs are extremely popular in mainland Europe, and I’m sure it will arrive in the UK shortly. The concept the UK supermarkets are looking at is for meat and cheese. The retail customer will buy sliced meat or cheese for salads and sandwiches, take some out of the pack, and then put the pack back in the fridge, for use later in the week.

“We’ve all seen thermoformed and similar products which claim to be resealable, but when you try to reseal them the corner turns up and it becomes unreliable. We have developed a www.meatpacking.info

resealable strip, based on adhesives. To make a reliable adhesive strip, its a question of finding the right combination of the package material and the adhesive. That’s something we’ve put a lot of work into. The owner of our company, Jeroen Molder, decided about five years ago that he wanted to create a reliable, easy to use resealable pack that his mother could use. We looked at the thermoform pack, but they’re often a bit tough to open, and can be reliable.

With the male and female strip zips, you have to get the connection right to get the seal closed, which can be hard for some customers. Our adhesive-based solution just needs to be pressed together “We’ve probably sold in the region of 12-14 of these machines already, specifically for cooked sliced meats and cheese, all in mainland Europe, primarily in the Netherlands and Germany. It’s a gas-flushed pack, running at up to speeds of 80 packs a minute. These packs would be retail packs, supplied to big retailers, like supermarket and convenience store chains.

“We’ve spoken to a few of the UK supermarkets, and two of them in particular are very interested. We’re working very closely with them and hoping to make some significant process by the end of the year.

“The benefit for the producers, is that if they are currently using a thermoforming machine, the footprint of the system is like for like. Part of our job is then integrating the new machine with the rest of the line, either with one of our own slicers or with the customers’ existing equipment. Other than that, no other changes are required. The system reduces the processor’s packaging cost and waste by 15-20% compared to thermoform and lid seal products.

“We see the resealable flow wrap becoming the dominant part of the UK business over the next twelve to eighteen months. It’s dominant in the Netherlands, and we expect to follow suit in the UK” September~October 2014 | Meat Packing Journal | 59

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hands free Poly-clip System’s filled and clipped tubes are well-accepted on the supermarket shelf, where they are used, for example, for sausages and patés. At processors, they are used to hold together logs of meat for cooking and slicing.

Now, Interfood Technology’s Mark Bishop tells Tom Burnett, they are seeing increased interest in a system that allows up to 2km of packaging to be filled and sealed without human intervention.

I

nterfood technology offers food processors in the UK a wide range of products and engineering services.

Managing director Mark Bishop says, “Interfood represents 14 different machinery manufacturers, across seven different divisions: Ingredients & Product Development, Fresh Meat Portioning, Preparation, Curing to Clipping, Cooking & Cooling/ Pasteurisation, Slicing, and Packing Solutions. Each division offers specific capabilities with product-based teams of engineers, backed by support personnel, to ensure a swift and efficient service. This illustrates the focus on after-sales, service and support that has always been central to the Interfood philosophy.

“Interfood Technology is now 15 years old and from those early beginnings has grown to a size where we now have 54 employees, including 20 engineers on the road, with two in-house food technologists. We offer turnkey solutions from the beginning to the end of the manufacturing process.”

One of manufacturers Interfood Technology represents is Germany’s Poly-clip Systems. Poly-clip’s machines fill tubes of packaging material, and clip them off into either retail chubs, or logs for further cooking and slicing. Bishop says, “Product is typically pumped from the filling machine into a casing and then clipped off in the desired portion size/weight. It can then either be cooked in the casing before being sliced so the retail customer doesn’t see the packing, or it can be sold in the casing for display on a supermarket deli counter or in a butchers shop.”

As well as ease of use by retailers and processors, Poly-clip’s packaging offers increased hygiene. Bishop says, “Poly-clip clips are uniquely coated and are food grade quality. This might sound strange, as it’s just a small metal clip, but it’s an enormous responsibility, as the product is held in the casing by that clip. It

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poly-clip

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can be in contact with the product and therefore hygiene is paramount. Poly-clip’s clips are made from 99.9% aluminium, are dimensionally stable and free from corrosion and burrs. The SafeCoat process, unique to Poly-clip clips, prevents drawing oil and mineral grease sticking to the clip, ensuring the highest level of hygiene and providing safe, uninterrupted production.

Interfood Technology is seeing new interest in the UK for a new Poly-clip machine that promises to build on this record for hygiene, while cutting costs and downtime. Bishop says, “Traditionally the casing comes in tube form, maybe 20, 40, or 50m long which is compacted into a slug length of around 500–700mm. An operator puts the casing on a pipe prior to filling and at the end of each casing slug, it needs to be replaced manually.

“Now we have a machine called the Polyclip TSCA which uses flat, reel-stock film, rather than tube. The reel-stock is formed and sealed automatically by the TSCA machine into the casing tube prior to filling. The machine can take reels with up to 2000m of film so reel changes are kept to a minimum. The film is fed automatically around a forming head before being sealed in a continuous join, this brings significant benefits on several levels: In terms of downtime, it represents a phenomenal saving, in terms of costs, it also offers savings on casing; and, in terms of hygiene, it means you’re using 2000m of film that has been untouched by human hands.

“The film on the TSCA is sealed by heat.

The join is sealed so fast that it is continuous, with the product coming out at the same speed as any clipper. It can produce up to 200 retail chubs a minute depending on product, film size and material.”

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As well as forming, sealing, filling and clipping the packs without intervention, the TSCA can also prepare each retail pack for the shelf individually. Bishop says, “For retail products branding can be pre-printed on the film, formed, sealed, and filled. With the TSCA, your design can feature centrally on the product, the TSCA’s print mark registration ensures the logo is centred each time. There is also the option to have a printer in the same machine, so you can date and code stamp each unit simultaneously. There is also a tag feeder option, so a tag can be attached to the product with the clip, or you can add a loop so it can be hung for cooking or curing. You can add the price, supermarket logo, or the date of the product.”

The continuous machine is now gaining interest as processors see the opportunity for improved return-on-investment. Bishop says, “The continuous machine may be more expensive than standard tube film machines, but, in the last year, we’ve seen more interest in the continuous machine option than in the whole of the last eight years combined. I think people are more aware of investment costs and, importantly, ensuring a return on their investment, as well as being more accountable and looking at ways of saving money. There are obvious cost savings with the continuous machine, but you do have to do the maths, people are more conscious of downtime and hygiene is also a much more important part of their agenda.

“All of this adds to a project that’s much more viable than previously. It’s proven technology that now is receiving a much greater level of interest as food processors recognise the contribution machines from Poly-clip System can make to their bottom line” www.meatpacking.info

EUROPACK SUMMIT

8 – 9 September 2014 | Grande Real Villa Itália Hotel & Spa | Cascais | Lisbon | Portugal

KEY TOPICS •

Exploring holistic innovation, from materials to formats and trends

•

Nurturing early and consistent interdepartmental communication and strategy alignment

•

Rapidly expanding visibility, enhancing brand image and pioneering product distinctiveness

•

Maximising efficiency and accomplish cost reduction, adaption ability and production optimisation

•

Ensure competitiveness and relevance in the constantly evolving online world

NETWORK WITH INDUSTRY EXPERTS LIKE •

Dr. Martin Zethoff, Director Global Packaging Technology Laundry & Home Care, Henkel

•

Hitesh Bagai, Senior Manager, Design Experince, Imperial Tobacco

•

Shira Rosen, Packaging Development Manager, Strauss Group

•

Ulrik Skovgaard,Rasmussen, Innocator & MD, GrowersCup

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT Kevin Dickey at kevindi@marcusevansch.com or tel: 312-540-3000 ext 6615

The event provided an excellent interactive forum to understand status quo of packaging industry. The overall organisation is very dynamic with a good balanced of one to one sessions and keynote presentations.

Global Packaging Manager, Unilever

INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTION & PROCESSING EXPO

MEAT

your customers and prospects www.ippexpo.org

Jan. 27–29, 2015 Georgia World Congress Center Atlanta, Ga. USA

Register before Dec. 31 for Early Bird Rates at www.ippexpo.org!

Your business’ health relies on new ideas, successful business connections and a grasp on the best practices in the industry.

Join us for IPPE 2015 to properly fuel and feed your business with everything it needs at one powerhouse of a show!

Connect with more than 28,000 industry professionals in poultry, feed, meat and more in one place, next January.

e v en t s

2014 8 - 9 September EuroPack Summit Cascais, Portugal www.europacksummit.com 1 - 2 October Poultry Processors Workshop Arkansas, USA www.thepoultryfederation.com 6 - 10 October Agroprodmash Moscow, Russia www.agroprodmash-expo.ru 21 - 23 October ProPak Cape Johannesburg, South Africa www.propakafrica.co.za 12 - 14 November International Meat, Meat Products & Equipment Exhibition Shanghai, China http://www.chinaexhibition.com

2015 27 - 29 January International Production & Processing Expo Atlanta, US www.ippexpo.com 14 - 16 March Food Expo Greece Athens, Greece www.foodexpo.gr 19 - 23 May Meat-Tech Milan, Italy www.meat-tech.it 15 - 18 September Process Expo Chicago, US www.myprocessexpo.com

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C O n tac t s

reby media Reby House

Rhian Owen

James Chappelow

Alex Conacher

Editorial

Sales

Rhian Owen

Tom Williams

Editor +44 1442 780 592 rhian@meatpacking.info

James Chappelow

Technical Editor james@meatpacking.info Reporters

Alex Conacher

Ruth Tomlin

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

Josh Henderson

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

Jim Robertson

tburnett@meatpacking.info

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

Jack Young

Ruth Tomlin

alex@meatpacking.info

Tom Burnett

Publisher +44 7817 756 347 jack@meatpacking.info

Subscription Sales +44 1442 780 592 ruth@meatpacking.info

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.

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Josh Henderson

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

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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