The Freshline® IQ freezer –a SMART choice for higher throughput and better taste

Designed with economy, efficiency and hygiene in mind, the IQ cryogenic freezer offers continuous high throughput on a broad range of foods with easy clean up. Ten-foot modular sections make it field expandable with a minimal capital investment. A SMART remote monitoring system allows for trouble shooting from afar.

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Sustainability Excellence In Manufacturing Awards

FOURTH PLACE Project Category

Camera Installation Helps Smith eld Avoid Plastic Film Waste in Ham Steak Packaging Smithfield Packaged Meats, in Kinston, N.C., has a company-wide goal of 75% Zero Waste to Landfill. Because of the di culty finding plastic recyclers in the area, an important part of that goal is to find ways to prevent plastic waste in the first place so that it doesn’t end up in the local landfill.

“A large amount of the solid waste generated at the Kinston plant is plastic waste,” says Charlie Prentice, environmental coordinator for Smithfield Packaged Meats. “This waste fills up our two compactors and requires us to have them pulled numerous times per week at less than the maximum fill weight.”

Smithfield’s winning project focuses on reducing that plastic waste, in this case from its Bone-in-Ham Wet Pack area, where the company runs steak lines. The steaks are cut from the center of hams, and then a conveyor carries the steaks to the pack machine, which is loaded with plastic film to create individual pockets. Employees place one ham steak in each pocket, and then the machine covers the pockets with preprinted film and seals the steaks for boxing.