Processing Technology
November 2022
Smarty plants: Tips for optimizing production lines
by Chris Williams, senior vice president of operations and business development, Pineland Farms Natural MeatsBuilding new manufacturing facilities is more...
August 2022
How high pressure technology contributes in sustainable meat and poultry production
With growing consumers awareness, in particular in developed countries, that food and its production is an essential measure of healthy life, it more...
July 2022
AMSA Exclusive: Dry-aging as a value-adding process to improve the quality of cull cow beef loins
Cull cows account for up to 19% of all the cattle harvested in the U.S. beef industry, playing a significant role in fulfilling the beef demands in the more...
Not just “bells and whistles”: Making the financial case for process automation
Today, labor reduction automation projects are getting more attention. For several years now, plants have experienced alarming difficulty in attracting more...
June 2022
AMSA Exclusive: Leveraging understanding of meat flavor for product success, Part 2
Editor's note: In Part 1 of this two-part article, the author discussed the sensation of flavor, the development of meat flavor through taste and aroma more...
5 tips for adopting an effective data-driven manufacturing approach
As the meat and poultry industry moves more rapidly toward digital transformation, improving the ability of the processing plant to manage and optimize more...
May 2022
AMSA Exclusive: Leveraging understanding of meat flavor for product success, Part 1
Editor's note: In Part 1 of this two-part article, the author discusses the sensation of flavor, the development of meat flavor through taste and aroma more...
PMMI Exclusive: Trends and challenges in adopting remote access solutions
It took a global pandemic for most of the packaging and processing industry to finally embrace the powerful tools that comprise remote access. But holdouts more...
USPOULTRY Exclusive: A novel approach to identifying Campylobacter jejuni vaccine candidates
Interventions to control and reduce the incidence of Campylobacter jejuni colonization in poultry is important in order to reduce the burden of foodborne more...
April 2022
Predictive maintenance: A modern mindset with Industry 4.0
Maintenance is an essential function in a meat plant. Often, it is viewed only from an expense perspective as companies focus on reducing maintenance more...
March 2022
Contamination and hygiene challenges in poultry processing demand multiple cleaning steps for effective sanitation
Due to the complex nature of poultry products, each operational step has a high risk of introducing different types of processing contaminants in semi-finished more...
February 2022
AMSA Exclusive: Dry heat cookery creates a unique flavor profile for beef
Flavor in meat products is developed primarily through the application of heat to fat and protein molecules, which initiates important flavor reactions more...
Adapting water-air microdroplets for poultry sanitation and quality improvement
According to the CDC, contaminated poultry products are a major source of salmonella, the pathogen that causes more foodborne illnesses than any other more...
January 2022
AMSA Exclusive: Retail display and sensory analysis of enhanced, non-enhanced and high-quality pork loins
Pork ranks highest (40.1%) in the world meat and poultry consumption over poultry, beef, and mutton/goat. Consumers have specific demands for different more...
MeatingPod Show Notes: EP 42: Demystifying Industry 4.0: Tony D's do's and don'ts of digital manufacturing
Julie Larson Bricher is the former science and technology editor of Meatingplace magazine. This interview originally appeared in Industry 4.0 in January more...
USPOULTRY Exclusive: Starting off 2022 right with research and IPPE
The time has come for USPOULTRY to get back to doing what it does best: putting on a SHOW! The COVID-19 pandemic brought with it many challenges, one more...
December 2021
AMSA Exclusive: Fatty acid composition of meat animals as flavor precursors
Fatty acid composition in meat is a topic of interest to both the scientific community and the public. Fat in meat animals consists mostly of triglycerides more...
MeatingPod Show Notes: EP 45: Back to the future of all-feather research at USPOULTRY
Julie Larson Bricher (JLB): Welcome to Ep. 45 of MeatingPod, where we're talking poultry science and research trends with one of my favorite scientists more...
Augmented reality is ready for prime time in meat plants
Augmented reality (AR) has become more familiar and widespread with advancements in computational power and speeds. AR is an enhancement of real-world more...
AMSA Exclusive: Compositional differences among types of mechanically separated chicken and their influence on physicochemical attributes of frankfurter-type sausages
Mechanically separated chicken (MSC), a raw material commonly used by the processed meat industry, is a highly comminuted paste-like raw chicken material more...
November 2021
CO2 stunning optimized: Maximizing quality in pig harvesting
There is little doubt that group handling of pigs prior to slaughter provides the most natural method for the animal and that the resulting meat is higher more...
MeatingPod Show Notes: EP 41: Poultry, processing and productivity, oh my!
Julie Larson Bricher (JLB): Hi! I’m Julie Larson Bricher, science and technology editor for Meatingplace magazine. Welcome to Ep. 41 of MeatingPod more...
PMMI Exclusive: Meat processing in an automated world
As an essential business, food, and in particular, meat processing, had to pivot quickly when the pandemic hit. Food needs changed almost overnight, and more...
October 2021
Natural compounds as an adjunct to better safety and preservation for poultry products
High-value fresh protein products such as poultry meat are very susceptible to chemical spoilage due to oxidation and microbial contamination. There are more...
Creating predictive analytics for the food factory of the future: How to go from firefighting to prevention to prediction
Editor's note: This article is the third and final of the three in series helping leaders guide their organizations through the digital transformation more...
September 2021
Tray, chub, can, or paper? A look at the environmental implications of ground meat packaging
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 80 million tons of packaging waste is generated in the U.S. every year. However, only half of it more...
Factory of the future: A practical roadmap for digital transformation
Editor's note: This article is part two of three in series helping leaders guide their organizations through the digital transformation journey. This more...
Bacteriophage biological interventions in poultry production
Bacteriophages, or phages, are the naturally occurring stalkers of bacteria that use the bacterial cells to replicate but also can infect and kill them more...
August 2021
Connecting the dots from the new normal to the food factory of the future
Editor's note: This article is part one of three in series helping leaders guide their organizations through the digital transformation journey. This more...
July 2021
Farm-to-fork tech applications to control salmonella and campylobacter in poultry production: Part 2
Editor's note: This two-part article reviews the efficacy of current interventions for Salmonella and Campylobacter in poultry production and processing more...
June 2021
Tackling smart technology: Is your operation ready?
I recall my first automation project around 1980. It involved automating coffee roasting and utilizing one of the first PLCs to use analog inputs. I procured more...
May 2021
AMSA Exclusive: Beef brisket: Back to the basics
From the backyard enthusiast to craft-barbecue establishments, brisket has become one of the most popular items trending in the meat and food industry more...
MeatingPod Show Notes: EP 17: On the road to chicken quality with a side of #chickensandwichtour
Julie Larson Bricher (JLB): Hi. I’m Julie Larson Bricher, science and technology editor for Meatingplace Magazine. Welcome to Episode 5 of MeatingPod more...
Rise of the robots: Pandemic showcased the best of automation for UV disinfection
The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way restaurants, shops and food processing plants are operated. The main focus is to improve sanitation and disinfection more...
April 2021
AMSA Exclusive: Extending the shelf-life of beef chuck roll steaks using acerola cherry powder and rosemary extract
In 2019, 14.1% of United States beef was exported, totaling more than $7.4 billion and contributing $308.74 per head of cattle. The Republic of Korea more...
MeatingPod Show Notes: EP 13: Minding your poultry p's and q's
Julie Larson Bricher (JLB): Hi. I’m Julie Larson Bricher, science and technology editor for Meatingplace magazine. Welcome to Ep. 13 of MeatingPod more...
PMMI Exclusive: Lessons in IIoT: Major considerations for meat manufacturers
Advancements in automation, both machine and software, are moving manufacturing toward a smarter factory. As traditional manufacturing evolves, the implementation more...
The impact of using woody breast meat and cooking method on the quality of processed poultry products
Severe woody breast (WB) meat exhibits poor eating quality and is visually unpleasant, even after the meat is ground (Figure 1). The WB characterization more...
March 2021
AMSA Exclusive: Sensory effects of hickory, cherry and mesquite wood used to generate high and low temperature smoke for American-style barbecue pork ribs
The barbeque (BBQ) tradition in our country has stood the test of time. Social events in Colonial America speak of meat and game being slow smoked over more...
February 2021
AMSA Exclusive: Developing smart tumbling – a simple and readily applicable method of fresh beef tenderization
While improvements in postmortem chilling and aging processes have dramatically improved the quality and consistency of fresh beef products, delivering more...
PMMI Exclusive: The nuts and bolts of remote maintenance
Original equipment suppliers (OEMs) use remote access technology to provide safe and secure access to their equipment in consumer packaged goods (CPGs) more...
January 2021
AMSA Exclusive: Effects of natural antioxidants in ground beef packaged in multiple packaging types
Consumers relate the color of meat to freshness of a product and base purchasing decisions on color more frequently than any other quality trait. When more...
AMSA Exclusive: Increasing red meat industry productivity through sensing and automation
Like other countries, the Australian red meat value chain faces significant challenges in sustaining efficiency and productivity to ensure global competitiveness more...
AMSA Exclusive: Shelf life validation of marinated and frozen chicken tenderloins
Poultry products are popular protein products in the United States for both the retail and foodservice sectors. Foodservice establishments typically obtain more...
December 2020
Meat processing industry 4.0: Applying robot innovation
For a decade or more, robots have been an important part of modern automation in many industries. Despite the fact that some robot applications have occurred more...
AMSA Exclusive: Effects of peroxyacetic acid and citric lactic acid blend spray on the shelf life of vacuum packaged beef
Beef is a widely consumed meat with rich in protein and other nutrients. In North America, beef consumption is up to 935,000 tonnes in Canada more...
November 2020
Moving toward smart meat processing using artificial intelligence
What is your impression of a slaughterhouse? As I recall my first time in a pig slaughterhouse, I was surprised to see how little automation has been more...
Assuring safety and quality of raw meat and poultry products using HPP
Raw foods of animal origin are among the most likely to be contaminated by pathogenic bacteria and as such, these products frequently are associated with foodborne more...
October 2020
AMSA Exclusive: Effect of clean label antimicrobials on Clostridium perfringens during extended chilling
Changes in consumer preferences and recent modifications to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety Inspection Service (USDA FSIS) Appendix B more...
Control of Listeria monocytogenes using novel processing strategies
Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive psychrotrophic bacterium pathogenic for humans that can cause listeriosis. It has been reported that L. monocytogenes more...
Is your profit going down the drain?
Recent extensive evaluation of so called “water footprint” (WF) of meat products manufacturing found that the agriculture accounts for 92% more...
September 2020
PMMI Exclusive: Easing into IIoT: How to navigate device selection and plant integration
Meat and poultry processors are looking to the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and Big Data to help tackle challenges such as efficiency, downtime more...
Woody breast: Carving new paths in detection method research
An emerging problem in the broiler industry is a condition referred to as woody breast (WB). The incidence can be observed up to 30% for moderate and more...
AMSA Exclusive: Reducing salmonella in pork trimming by 3% acetic acid
Outbreaks caused by human enteric pathogens are a concern for pork processors and regulatory agencies, negatively impacting public health and eroding more...
AMSA Exclusive: Pulsed ultraviolet light: An antimicrobial intervention for poultry parts
Microbial risks associated with raw poultry products continue to be an important source of foodborne disease in the U.S. Large-scale production and automation more...
August 2020
AMSA Exclusive: Optimizing sodium-based ingredients to improve quality attributes of beef trimmings for ground beef production
The gross value of global beef production is $241 billion dollars per year (FAO, 2014).[1] The discoloration of beef raw materials and retail products more...
AMSA Exclusive: Metabolic acids as antimicrobials for poultry
Among animal-derived meat sources, poultry has the lowest feed conversion ratio and provide maximum meat per unit feed input. A 2018 report projected more...
July 2020
PMMI Exclusive: Processing and packaging line automation trends and advances in digital connectivity
The increasing number of product SKUs is impacting meat producers at every level of processing and packaging, requiring more time for line cleaning and more...
AMSA Exclusive: Effects of natural ingredients as phosphate replacers on quality and sensory attributes of whole muscle hams
Within the processed meats industry, shifting consumer preference has called for the removal of traditional processing ingredients and has increased the more...
AMSA Exclusive: Controlling STEC contamination in vacuum packaged beef
A high event period (HEP) is when a beef processing facility experiences a high rate (greater than 5%) of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) positive more...
June 2020
Disinfection by light: New perspectives on UV tech in the age of COVID-19
In time of worldwide pandemic caused by the COVID-19 coronavirus, the idea of ultraviolet (UV) disinfection measures has become understandably more popular more...
May 2020
AMSA Exclusive: Fat reduction in processed meat using hot-boning and cold-batter mincing technology
Processed meat products are popular throughout the world due to the property of convenience, good nutrition and ideal taste. Processed meat, however, more...
Disinfection tech: A new look at chlorine washing and other methods in meat and poultry
Raw and processed meats may potentially serve as sources for transmitting many bacterial pathogens during carcass dressing or other handling operations more...
April 2020
AMSA Exclusive: Efficacy of beef crust from dry-aged beef loins as novel functional ingredient
Dry-aging is a traditional butchery process, known for the development in palatability attributes (flavor in particular) of meat.[1,2] Currently, it has more...
March 2020
An antimicrobial ingredient toolkit for today’s meat and poultry processor
Clean label is still driving research and development efforts in formulating a variety of meat and poultry products. But ensuring that the food is safe more...
Controlling pathogens during processing of birds raised in an ABF system
Today, a growing number of poultry processors are raising and producing chickens under the No Antibiotics Ever (NAE) claim. Simply put, only birds grown more...
February 2020
AMSA Exclusive: Photohydroionization: A novel pathogen intervention for fresh beef
Salmonella and Shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC), as major foodborne pathogens in beef production, may contaminate beef carcasses during cattle harvest more...
January 2020
AMSA Exclusive: Evaluating ground beef formulated with different fat sources
When it comes to beef consumption, ground beef is the one item consumed the most. Additionally, ground beef can be tailored to the consumer through formulation more...
December 2019
Food-grade coatings to prevent mite infestation on dry-cured ham
During the three months to three years of aging, dry-cured hams develop their distinct flavor from lipolysis and proteolysis (Toldra´, 1998). Tyrophagus more...
Optimizing efficiencies through effective ergonomics programs
Poultry plants, no matter their degree of automation, will continue to depend heavily on the human labor to perform several tasks scattered from the live more...
AMSA Exclusive: Metabolomics approach to improve meat quality and value
Meat products, being derived from once-living and metabolizing muscle tissue, undergo continuous biochemical changes throughout the conversion of muscle more...
November 2019
How meat industry can benefit from application of pulsed electric fields
The unique effects of electrical fields have been explored for some time in the meat industry. Electrical stimulation using direct application of electrodes more...
October 2019
New pulsed light technology for sanitation of footwear in food processing facilities
Food recalls are happening in the U.S. at the rate of approximately 10 per week and their frequency is growing as the demand for fresh, healthy, minimally more...
September 2019
Best chilling techniques for sausage production
Proper chilling is essential to the production of high-quality and safe sausage products. Chilling is the process of cooling meat while the meat remains more...
Navigating high pressure process validation: Part 2
Under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), food manufacturers must utilize thermal and non-thermal processes to mitigate risks of pathogen contamination more...
August 2019
Creating a successful chicken breading operation
Battered and breaded chicken products are very popular food products among adults and children. For the most part, these products are manufactured on more...
How to reduce fat content in sausage production
Producing low-fat sausages requires an understanding of the role of fat in meat products, some time spent planning on how fat will be replaced, plenty more...
July 2019
Navigating high pressure process validation: Part 1
The food industry benefits from nearly a couple of centuries of experience with the application of thermal processing and the resulting scientific data more...
Gaining efficiencies through cleanable equipment
Sanitary design of equipment is one of the fundamental building blocks of an effective environmental pathogen control program. The principles of sanitary more...
May 2019
Radio frequency heating comes of age
In food processing, radio frequency heating (RF) was first explored for blanching, cooking and dehydrating in the end of 1940s. Twenty years later, research more...
Consumer appeal: The role of color in meat flavor and palatability
The color of meat affects consumer perception, or "liking," in terms of flavor and palatability and plays an important role in buying decisions at retail more...
April 2019
Mechanical deboning: labor vs. yield
Poultry meat is highly popular among U.S. consumers. Boneless breast meat has been a staple item in the marketplace, both retail and foodservice as well more...
December 2018
Meat extenders in the 'clean label' era
In meat processing, food fillers and extenders are additives that are used to increase the weight of the products with less expensive ingredients and more...
AMSA Exclusive: Identification and characterization of bacteria using mass spectrometry
Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series of exclusive articles provided by authors commissioned by the American Meat Science Association more...
November 2018
Yield enhancement considerations for clean label meat products
Manufacturing clean label processed meats commonly includes removing phosphates from the product formulation and the ingredient label. This is challenging more...
PMMI Exclusive: Meeting hygienic design requirements in meat and poultry packaging
As meat and poultry products make their way through the supply chain, the risk of contamination lies at every turn. For manufacturers aiming to increase more...
AMSA Exclusive: Natural hardwood smoked sugar improves oxidative and flavor stability of naturally cured, aerobically packaged foodservice bacon
Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series of exclusive articles provided by authors commissioned by the American Meat Science Association more...
October 2018
Technology advances in co-extruded meat production
(Editor's Note: This article is an excerpt from the latest The Meat Processor’s Journal, an industry education e-book series jointly developed more...
Update on alternative curing systems for clean label meat products
Beyond removing ingredients that aren’t allowed under “natural” or “organic” labeling, the clean label approach has been more...
Innovations in forming and filling artisan meatballs
(Editor's Note: This article is an excerpt from the latest The Meat Processor’s Journal, an industry education e-book series jointly developed more...
Top tips for proactive pathogen control in poultry processing
By Beth Ann Crozier-Dodson, Ph.D. According to the National Chicken Council, the consumption of all poultry products in the United States has steadily more...
September 2018
AMSA Exclusive: The journey of marination
Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series of exclusive articles provided by authors commissioned by the American Meat Science Association more...
August 2018
Designing microwave RTE products for quality-conscious consumers
In conventional thermal processing systems, heat energy is transferred from a hot medium to a cooler product through conduction and convection modes with more...
PMMI Exclusive: The power of packaging to reduce food waste
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted every year, costing around $680 billion in more...
July 2018
What are the options for smoke application to processed meats?
The use of smoke for enhancing flavor and imparting a number of other desirable properties to smoked meats has become a well-established process that more...
PMMI Exclusive: HPP drives increase in flexible packaging
Ever since meat made its way from the parchment paper of the butcher shop to the retail shelves of grocery stores, flexible packaging has held a key role more...
AMSA Exclusive: Validation of antimicrobial interventions, including the use of 1,33-dibromo-5,5-dimethylhydantoin applied in a final carcass wash in a commercial beef harvest operation
The beef industry has allocated considerable effort and research to control pathogens inherent to beef products during the harvest process. The pathogens more...
June 2018
AMSA Exclusive: Application of novel metabolomics to study fresh beef color
Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series of exclusive articles provided by authors commissioned by the American Meat Science Association more...
May 2018
Utilization of buffered vinegar to inhibit the growth of Listeria monocytogenes on marinated, cooked chicken breast
Listeria monocytogenes can survive in refrigerated ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products (<7oC), particularly when refrigeration is marginal more...
Choosing food-safe adjunct ingredients for clean label meat products
As many meat processors who want to produce and market their products with a “clean label” know, it can be a challenging proposition, especially more...
PMMI Exclusive: Flexible trends in meat packaging
Since the big industry headline lately seems to focus on the effect consumer demands have on packaging, let’s get it out of the way first when it more...
AMSA Exclusive: Mass spectrometry "omics" technologies and their potential for meat quality research — a tutorial
Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series of exclusive articles provided by authors commissioned by the American Meat Science Association more...
April 2018
AMSA Exclusive: Cooking time and temperature influences on the development of Maillard reaction products in meat
The browning of food is something that we, as consumers, enjoy every day. The process of browning in food is dependent on whether it is mediated by enzymes more...
March 2018
An insight into cooking, coating and frying for value-added chicken
Coated food products fit into consumer demand for foods that are easy to prepare, have good sensory attributes and are economical for purchase. Coated more...
PMMI Exclusive: Consumer trends driving meat packaging innovations: Clean labels
With changing consumer demands dictating trends more than ever before, clean labels are taking center stage for consumer packaged goods (CPGs) companies more...
February 2018
How UV light can improve safety of frozen products
Continuing outbreaks of pathogenic bacteria and viruses associated with frozen foods have demonstrated the substantial microbial risks for this category more...
Do natural sources of sodium nitrite deliver as-good-or-better antimicrobial efficacy over synthetic sources?
By Kathleen Glass, Ph.D., director, Food Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison The antimicrobial effect of synthetic preservatives such more...
AMSA Exclusive: Phages as a natural alternative for antibiotic use in animal health applications
By Steven Hagens, Chief Scientific Officer and Bert de Vegt, Managing Director, Micreos Food Safety Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional more...
January 2018
How to strengthen chicken meat quality in first processing
Meat quality is one of the most important components to consider when processing broilers. Even though all components across the poultry continuum — more...
Near-infrared technology to determine proximate analysis of meat
Even though first research projects for near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) were conducted in the 1970s, the first commercial pieces of equipment weren’t more...
PMMI Exclusive: Ready for automation — If it still works, Is food ready to change?
While automation continues to advance in most markets, food, along with beverage, has been the slowest to adopt automation, reports the "2017 Evolution more...
December 2017
The relationship between product safety and meat grinder usage
Grinding — in some areas referred to as mincing — is one of the first steps in the production of many value-added products. In fact, in the more...
November 2017
What processors need to know about the FSMA
The Food Safety Modernization Act has many in the food processing industry concerned. How will this affect them economically? Who will face hardships more...
Tapping natural ingredients to create clean-label cured meats
Although artificial preservatives impart many of the properties associated with cured meats, a growing number of consumers are seeking products with cleaner more...
October 2017
How to assure food safety during the beef deboning stages
By focusing on plant programs with a risk-managed, systematic approach, food safety hazards can be reduced or eliminated, even during the challenging more...
Understanding ‘natural curing’ of processed meats
The development of the natural and organic categories of processed meats labeled “Uncured” is an intriguing story of how consumer perceptions more...
How to enhance beef tenderness through applied injection technologies
Fresh meat palatability is affected by tenderness, juiciness and flavor, all of which impact overall desirability in various ways. Often for properly more...
Formulating gluten-free emulsions
Gluten-free products have become common in the marketplace, with some indications that 10 percent annual growth is possible. While it’s true there more...
September 2017
Developing fresh sausages with the right equipment and services
Fresh sausage is a broad category that includes formed, bulk and products stuffed into casings. The common attributes of all fresh sausages is that they more...
The impact of processing temperatures on fresh meat quality
Spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms are ubiquitous in livestock production, and colder temperatures limit their growth. In commercial slaughtering more...
PMMI Exclusive: Meat, poultry packaging solutions at PACK EXPO Las Vegas
Sanitation, global demand and labor costs are top-of-mind issues leading poultry and meat manufacturers to increase their use of automated machinery, more...
August 2017
A new look at underutilized beef cuts
The beef carcass is a large and complex set of muscle and bones that can yield numerous and highly variable cuts for both steaks and roasts. Over the more...
Cold plasma for controlling microbial contamination before and after packaging
The interest in cold plasma technology is quickly growing in the food research community as well as among processors as a non-thermal alternative for more...
July 2017
New developments in pressure-assisted thermal processing
The food industry has a long history of using heat for sterilization and pasteurization processes that are well defined by regulators. The concept of more...
PMMI Exclusive: How the industry views COOL, 18 months after its repeal
Just over two years ago, the World Trade Organization (WTO) upheld its ruling that Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) in the U.S. proved unfair to the more...
AMSA Exclusive: The Environmental and Economic Impact of Removing Growth-Enhancing Technologies from U.S. Beef Production
Editor's Note: This is part of an occasional series of exclusive articles provided by authors commissioned by the American Meat Science Association in more...
June 2017
How to neutralize antimicrobials for food safety performance standards
Non-typhoidal salmonella is a leading cause of bacterial foodborne illness in the United States and can cross-contaminate multiple animal-derived foods more...
PMMI Exclusive: Primary packaging trends
Consumer demand for smaller, on-the-go packaging is not a new trend – except when it comes to the animal protein packaging sector. According to more...
AMSA Exclusive: Turning byproducts to beef: Sustaining the cattle industry in Honduras
Editor's Note: This is part of an occasional series of exclusive articles provided by authors commissioned by the American Meat Science Association in more...
May 2017
Understanding properties of plastic packaging for foods treated by HPP
With the advent of high-pressure processing (HPP), consumers are starting to take notice that it actually eliminates pathogens. But HPP remains expensive more...
AMSA Exclusive: Automation in the poultry and red meat industries
Editor's Note: This is part of an occasional series of exclusive articles provided by authors commissioned by the American Meat Science Association in more...
April 2017
How packaging affects the quality of frozen bacon slices
Although there’s a lot of talk about pork quality today, the American pork industry has been working in this area for decades. Through its Pork more...
March 2017
PMMI Exclusive: Innovations in processing technology
Maintaining a sanitary process is key for any meat processor, and one of the more challenging operations can be cutting meat products without products more...
February 2017
Green processing solutions for meat and poultry
Although successfully used in various food industries, ozone-based systems marketed to the food industry have not gained broad acceptance until recently more...
PMMI Exclusive: Latest X-ray/vision system trends
Amid product recalls and the advent of the Food Safety Modernization Act, a growing area of concern barely making headlines is counterfeit food, according more...
AMSA Exclusive: Characterizing products from the beef rib resulting from an alternative carcass break
Editor's Note: This is part of an occasional series of exclusive articles provided by authors commissioned by the American Meat Science Association in more...
January 2017
Creating an effective cooking schedule for value-added meats
Proper cooking schedules are an essential step to ensure the quality and yield of any value-added meats. Improper cooking schedules can cause quality more...
PMMI Exclusive: Packaging advances that address food safety
No one wants to hear the news that recalls rose significantly during 2016 or that the trend will likely continue. The reasons behind these recalls vary more...
Navigating the industrial Internet of things
Industry 4.0, the industrial Internet of things, the connected enterprise, smart factories. Whatever you call it, networked integration has cracked through more...
December 2016
The reality of food printing
Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology was originally invented to build objects made of metals, ceramics and polymers and to perform the fabrication more...
PMMI Exclusive: Flexible packaging trends
Meeting the needs of both consumers and manufacturers, flexible packaging continues to grow in popularity, according to PMMI’s, “Flexible more...
AMSA Exclusive: Fetal programming: Implications in meat production
There is a growing body of evidence that suggests that the gestational environment can elicit permanent changes in the fetal genome resulting in lifelong more...
November 2016
Does electrical stimulation make sense for beef slaughter facilities?
Electrical stimulation (ES) is a proven technology that can improve the quality of beef carcasses. An interesting note is that the first record of the more...
October 2016
Portioning restructured meat for sausage
There are several factors that affect emulsion stability, but the following three suggestions should be most helpful for achieving a stable emulsion for more...
Advances in packaging for HPP
High pressure processing (HPP) at ambient temperature and pressure-assisted thermal sterilization (PATS) at elevated temperatures are batch processes more...
PMMI Exclusive: PACK EXPO International pre-show issue
In today’s competitive market, PMMI’s 2016 Top to Top Summit Report highlights some of the trends such as hygienic equipment design, flexibility more...
AMSA Exclusive: Effects of frozen mechanically separated pork on functional properties of emulsion-type pork sausage
Mechanically separated meats (MSM) allow the recovery of valuable protein during carcass fabrication and are used throughout the world due to their low more...
September 2016
The basic science of beef flavor
Over the past two decades, the tenderness of beef has increased consistently, making tenderness less of a threat to the beef industry. Flavor has always more...
August 2016
Energy efficiency of novel processing technologies
The global drivers of population growth and climate change by 2030 will increase food production needs by half, energy demand by 45 percent and water more...
Latest innovations in imaging technology
There is no doubt the food industry’s emphasis on stricter food safety controls, food contamination prevention and improved detection technology more...
PMMI Exclusive: Packaging material reduction
Packaging serves many purposes, but in the meat industry preserving and protecting food quality ranks number one. As a result, processors are challenged more...
July 2016
AMSA Exclusive: The science of meat quality, an applied focus
The pork industry is rapidly changing: In just the last few years, the industry has undergone substantial consolidation, leading to bigger and more complex more...
June 2016
PMMI Exclusive: Packaging trends aimed at reducing food waste
For more than a decade, there has been an ongoing push across packaging to improve sustainability throughout the supply chain. The drive is beginning more...
Updated cooking and chilling schedules and technologies
For several years, most meat processors have relied on the time and temperature combinations found in “Appendix A,” titled “Compliance more...
Light technologies as post-lethality processing methods
This article focuses on applications of light based electromagnetic technologies using ultraviolet (UV), pulsed light (PL), and infrared (IR) radiation more...
AMSA Exclusive: Lipid oxidation-induced oxidation in beef and pork carboxymyoglobin
Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series of exclusive articles provided by authors commissioned by the American Meat Science Association more...
April 2016
Electrolyzed water as a novel cleaner and sanitizer
Sanitation in food production is viewed as the most successful food safety initiative in history. Indeed, more than 30 percent of foodborne illness cases more...
PMMI Exclusive: Ready-to-eat packaging trends
Although there are various trends affecting packaging in the meat and poultry sector, the rebounding global economy, offering increased employment and more...
AMSA Exclusive: Meat tenderness assessment using tissue anisotropy imaging analysis
Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series of exclusive articles provided by authors commissioned by the American Meat Science Association more...
February 2016
PMMI Exclusive: New trends in global packaging
In the late 1980s, the dawn of “mass customization” began the shift from producers driving the global economy to putting the consumer in the more...
Understanding particle reduction in dry, semi-dry sausage production
(Editor's Note: This article is an excerpt from The Meat Processor’s Journal, an industry education e-book series jointly developed by Handtmann more...
A review of new designs in equipment technology
Meat processing equipment tends to have a fairly long service life. As such, design updates tend to move slowly. However, there are some new and interesting more...
AMSA Exclusive: Effects of freeze thawing on the oxygenation properties of dark cutting beef
Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series of exclusive articles provided by authors commissioned by the American Meat Science Association more...
January 2016
The role of critical non-meat ingredients in processed meat
Consumer interest in simple ingredient statements has encouraged many processors to reformulate processed meats. Because such reformulation often includes more...
December 2015
A look at alginate co-extrusion technology for producing dry, semi-dry sausage
Editor's Note: This article is an excerpt from The Meat Processor’s Journal, an industry education e-book series jointly developed by Handtmann more...
November 2015
Why tumbling and massaging should matter to you
Tumbling and massaging are two processing steps that are often overlooked regarding their significance and importance to further processed meat and poultry more...
Methods to improve the safety of dry ingredients using both thermal and non-thermal technologies
Many dry food ingredients and processing aids, such as spices and herbs, condiments, texturizing agents and enzyme preparations, contain large numbers more...
September 2015
Mapping high-oxygen MAP — its impacts on meat quality
Increasing demands for central packaging of case-ready meats drive the usage of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) systems with incorporating various more...
August 2015
Proven methods of scalding and plucking management
Chicken products intended for human consumption around the world must be sold de-feathered. The basic principles behind those both popular de-feathering more...
New insights into frozen meat
Consumers perceive that non-frozen chilled meat has better eating quality attributes than frozen-thawed meat. In that regard, chilled meat attains higher more...
July 2015
AMSA Exclusive: Critical steps for making quality processed meats at the lowest cost
Editor's note: This is part of an occasional series of exclusive articles provided by authors commissioned by the American Meat Science Association in more...
June 2015
How novel technologies are used in ingredients treatment
Heating, refrigeration, freezing, separation and drying have been some of the key traditional processes used for processing and preservation not only more...
Methods to ensure food safety with thermal processing
Foodborne illness in the United States continues to be a major public health issue despite attempts by industry and regulatory agencies to curtail it more...
AMSA Exclusive:Processed meats – ingredients revisited
Editor's note: This is part of an occasional series of exclusive articles provided by authors commissioned by the American Meat Science Association in more...
May 2015
AMSA Exclusive: Optimizing cook-in-package comminuted products
Editor's note: This is part of an occasional series of exclusive articles provided by authors commissioned by the American Meat Science Association in more...
Meat and poultry slicing considerations: The basics
Slicing meat and poultry products whether fresh, heat-treated or fully cooked is not what it once was. The process of separating larger pieces into smaller more...
April 2015
How to adapt ultrasound for your facility’s operations
Establishing itself as an emerging food processing technology, ultrasound (US) is generated by mechanical waves at a frequency above the threshold of more...
How novel technologies are reducing allergens
Food allergies are caused by adverse immunological responses to proteins, or antigens, which are components of food matrices. These antigens are referred more...
March 2015
Ways to improve the microbiological quality of brines and marinades
Brine is a strong solution of water and salt that is used to improve texture and flavor when injected in whole muscle raw beef products. A sweetener such more...
AMSA Exclusive: RMC 2015
Meat scientists from across the country will begin gathering on June 14 in Lincoln, Neb., for the American Meat Science Association’s (AMSA) 68th more...
February 2015
The physiology of immunocastration in pigs
Among its myriad benefits, from better feed conversion to improved meat quality, immunocastration in male pigs as an alternative to physical castration more...
January 2015
AMSA Exclusive: A closer look at poultry imaging systems
Editor's Note: This is part of an occasional series of exclusive articles provided by authors commissioned by the American Meat Science Association in more...
December 2014
Advances in mechanical tenderization
Editor's Note: This article is an excerpt from the Meat Processor’s Journal, an industry education e-book series jointly developed by Handtmann more...
How to achieve a measurable drop in pathogens with cold plasma technology
Atmospheric cold plasma is a promising technology that many have heard about in the meat processing industry, but few understand. Atmospheric cold plasma more...
How to select refrigeration systems to best control atmospheric conditions
Regardless of cost, refrigeration systems are by far long-term investments – and in most cases they are economically irreversible. There are important more...
A look at three emerging technologies: light pulses, plasma, ultrasound
There are several food processing techniques that are new and can find potential applications in meat operations for treatment of raw and finished products more...
November 2014
Four product development considerations for HPP
High pressure processing (HPP) has experienced rapid growth over the last five years especially in North America, where a range of HPP products is commercially more...
Understanding the science of thermal processing
Editor's Note: This article is an excerpt from the Meat Processor’s Journal, an industry education e-book series jointly developed by Handtmann more...
Poultry Basics: Mechanically deboned meat
Since whole chicken carcasses started to be chopped and sold as parts, in an attempt of the poultry industry to come up with value-added products, the more...
October 2014
How to create whole muscle appearance with a stuffer
Editor's Note: This article is an excerpt from the Meat Processor’s Journal, an industry education e-book series jointly developed by Handtmann more...
AMSA Exclusive: With proteins, a mix is not just a mix
Editor's Note: This is part of an occasional series of exclusive articles provided by authors commissioned by the American Meat Science Association in more...
September 2014
Free e-book details best practices of whole muscle processing
(Editor's Note: This article is an excerpt from The Meat Processor’s Journal an industry education e-book series jointly developed by Handtmann more...
How to determine the shelf life of meat and poultry products
Shelf life of meat and poultry products is important for many reasons including those related to quality, safety and profit. It significantly impacts more...
August 2014
Alternatives to pasteurization and sterilization
Preservation methods that impede microbial growth include refrigeration and freezing, reduction of water activity, acidification, adding preservatives more...
Four reasons to use LED lighting in your facility
Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are semiconductor devices that emit light of a single wavelength. Visible (blue, green and white) and infrared LEDs became more...
A comparison of hydrostatic and hydrodynamic pressure processing for fresh meat
Ensuring safety and consistent tenderness in fresh meats are two areas of primary importance in meat industry for more than 50 years. Development of commercial more...
July 2014
Poultry Basics: Four yield considerations on the cutup floor
It’s no surprise that the way the chicken products are offered for consumption varies widely across continents and countries. In some regions live more...
June 2014
Focus on equipment for yield improvement
Product yields are no doubt important for meat and poultry processing. Whether we are talking about purge losses, thermal processing related cooking losses more...
AMSA Exclusive: Technology’s future in protein production
Editor's Note: This is part of an occasional series of exclusive articles provided by authors commissioned by the American Meat Science Association in more...
Packaging robotics applications for plant automation
A lot has been changing on the floor of meat processing plants. Thanks to innovations in technology and evolving regulations, automation has increasingly more...
How to reduce risk and prevent quality changes with electronic pasteurization
Irradiation has been widely used for spices and other food ingredients for many years. For meat, irradiation is just now emerging into a significant commercial more...
May 2014
AMSA Exclusive: New approaches to adding value to processed meats
Editor's Note: This is part of an occasional series of exclusive articles provided by authors commissioned by the American Meat Science Association in more...
Processors leverage HPP to fight spoilage, pathogens
It is no surprise that consumer demand continues to grow for conveniently packaged meat products. However shoppers are now searching store shelves for more...
April 2014
Using hydrogen peroxide and UV light to disinfect hatching eggs
For most of us working in the poultry industry, the idea of sanitizing hatching eggs prior to incubation is a dream because a practical and effective more...
AMSA Exclusive: Processed meats microbiology
Editor's note: This is part of an occasional series of exclusive articles provided by authors commissioned by the American Meat Science Association in more...
March 2014
Critical steps for validation of lethality of thermal process
Thermal processing is used to prepare cooked, fermented and dried meat and poultry ready-to-eat (RTE) products to improve quality and texture but also more...
How to comply with USDA’s food defense rules
Food defense is a voluntary program encouraged by the USDA and FDA to provide protection against intentional contamination of food products. USDA defines more...
February 2014
New processing opportunities for sodium reduction in RTE meats
Salt or sodium chloride (NaCl) represents an important ingredient added to meats formulations to increase gelation, water holding capacity and fat retention more...
AMSA Exclusive: Packaging for processed meats
Editor's note: This is part of an occasional series of exclusive articles provided by authors commissioned by the American Meat Science Association in more...
January 2014
Advances in approved in-plant antimicrobial interventions for poultry
In July of 2011, the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) implemented new performance standards for Campylobacter as well as revised performance more...
AMSA Exclusive: Food safety performance through HACCP
Editor's note: This is part of an occasional series of exclusive articles provided by authors commissioned by the American Meat Science Association in more...
Advances in rapid pathogen detection
Recent recalls and outbreaks caused by foodborne pathogens are bringing great impact to personal lives, business and national economies. According to more...
December 2013
New ISO irradiation standard: What it means for processors
Food irradiation is a process exposing foods to ionizing irradiation. Irradiation is used in many countries in order to improve food products safety and more...
October 2013
New opportunities in food innovation with HPP
High hydrostatic pressure technology (also known as high pressure processing, or HPP) and typically defined as a process of 100-1,000 MPa (megapascals) more...
September 2013
AMSA Exclusive: Conversion of muscle to meat
Editor's note: This is part of an occasional series of exclusive articles provided by authors commissioned by the American Meat Science Association in more...
July 2013
Advancements in microwave packaging for bacon
Food companies continue to refine and modify the susceptor technology that has existed for years to cook packaged bacon in the microwave. Still, the advancements more...
June 2013
Novel technologies: Head-only poultry stunning (VIDEO)
The Dutch poultry trade association Nepluvi says that in the European Union, 72 percent of birds do not receive the correct amount of stunning, whether more...
AMSA Exclusive: Conventional and natural curing for processed meat products
Editor's note: This is part of an occasional series of exclusive articles provided by authors commissioned by the American Meat Science Association in more...
April 2013
Advances in meat tenderization
Improving tenderness of meat – especially beef – is a proven method to increase consumer ratings of eating satisfaction. Tenderness is generally more...
The science behind probiotics in poultry production
The use of probiotics in animal production is not a new concept: Up to 60 percent of the beef and dairy cattle industries have been using it for many more...
February 2013
Five things to consider when installing an HPP system
High-pressure pasteurization (HPP) is a fairly new technology that not only extends shelf-life of products but also adds another level of food safety more...
December 2012
Making the most of protein functionality with tumbling, extrusion, forming and injecting on protein functionality
Functional proteins are important for providing desirable product quality attributes such as texture, fat binding, water hold capacities, yield, and even more...
November 2012
Optimizing fresh poultry shelf life with CO packaging
Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) is generally achieved by altering the initial headspace gas concentration in the pack. After vacuuming the pack, high more...
Cutting demo: Ribeye cap (Video)
Third-generation butcher and James Beard Award-nominated author of The Art of Beef Cutting, Kari Underly knows her beef. She's also a huge fan of the more...
October 2012
Cutting demo: Ribeye filets (Video)
Kari Underly, a third-generation butcher and James Beard Award-nominated author of The Art of Beef Cutting, says that as subprimals continue to get larger more...
September 2012
Poultry Basics: Water and air chilling -- Which is better for your needs?
Chilling practices are a major factor in controlling the degree of cross contamination in chicken carcasses. Commonly used practices in the commercial more...
July 2012
Novel approaches to rapid chilling
Cooked, ready-to-eat meat products make up a large segment of the processed meat industry and one that is increasingly popular with consumers. Most of more...
June 2012
An in-depth look at E. coli interventions
Some strains of the enterohemorragic group of E. coli and other shiga toxin-producing serotypes (STEC), such as the O157:H7, O26, O91, O103, O111, O118 more...
May 2012
Specifying 101: Application of electro-magnetic heating (part 3 of 3)
Editor’s note: This is the third of a three-part series of technical articles this month on how to specify some of the more innovative equipment more...
Specifying 101: Is UV right for your operation? (part 2 of 3)
Editor’s note: This is the second of a three-part series of technical articles this month on how to specify some of the more innovative equipment more...
Specifying 101: Adapting HPP to your operation (part 1 of 3)
Editor’s note: This is the first of a three-part series of technical articles this month on how to specify some of the more innovative equipment more...
April 2012
How to reduce microbial growth in poultry operations
Archeologists have estimated that man has used fire for 300,000 years and ovens dating back 40,000 years, but it was only 150 years ago that Louis Pasteur more...
March 2012
Best physical-chemical interventions for beef slaughter
The beef industry has been focused on dealing with E. coli O157:H7 since the 1993 Jack in the Box outbreak, making beef contamination with E. coli O157:H7 more...
January 2012
Determining cooked product shelf life
Initial steps in determining shelf-life – the length of time that a food product can be stored without an appreciable change in quality or safety more...
December 2011
Advances in X-ray inspection/metal and bone detection
Although metal detection has been used for years in various applications with good success, bone detection in boneless product is a newer trend, and many more...
November 2011
Maintaining an ozone system
Ozone production systems can be a useful tool as a disinfecting agent – but it is essential that an operator of such a system understands the science more...
Correct management of online reprocessing systems
For processors, the top priority is the unquestionable safety of the products. It is no different in Brazil than anywhere else. Brazilian poultry processors more...
Selecting a starter culture for fermented products
Since it is the one group of products for which growth of microorganisms is actually encouraged rather than viewed as a major problem, fermented products more...
October 2011
Working with coated casings
Casings are a critical component for successfully manufacturing processed meat products. By definition, they serve as a governing force in the conversion more...
Designing microwave RTE products for quality-conscious consumers
Microwave heating refers to the use of electromagnetic waves of certain frequencies to generate heat in a material. Typically, microwave food processing more...
New findings on poultry electrical stimulation
Boneless, skinless broiler breast is a very popular meat product, becoming – in fact – a staple item in both retail and foodservice. Tenderness more...
August 2011
Cook-in-bag preparations: How to do it right
Cook-in-bag preparations are increasing in popularity, partially due to the demand for convenience meat products and prevention of Listeria monocytogenes more...
Muscle manipulation -- a new way to tenderize meat
Tenderness is the meat trait most associated with overall palatability, especially for whole muscle cuts such as steaks and chops. Improving tenderness more...
Maximizing marinade yields and costs by managing equipment parameters
Marination is the process of incorporating salts, spices and herbs into foods such as meat, fish and shrimp to improve flavor and texture. Marination more...
Preparing meat for whole muscle formed products
Whole muscle formed products are an economical and convenient way to improve the characteristics of whole muscle products by utilizing smaller pieces more...
July 2011
Using antioxidants to extend the shelf life of further processed meat
Lipid oxidation may affect the overall shelf life of meat and poultry products. Once lipid oxidation starts, changes in color, texture, flavor, odor and more...
Useful ingredients for natural, clean labels
Many ingredients are used to provide desirable attributes processed meat applications such as maximum yields, desirable texture, cured color, extended more...
A primer in high-pressure processing
He has been researching high-pressure processing (HPP) applications for about 15 years, tracking the century-old concept as it moved from Japanese research more...
June 2011
Pre-cooking convenience meats
Consumer demand for convenience has led to the creation of meat products and entrées that are fully cooked and reheated in the microwave before more...
Increasing shelf-life of marinated fresh poultry with the use of antimicrobials
Marinated poultry is popular among consumers for many reasons, primarily because of taste, convenience and perceived value. As a fresh product, one of more...
May 2011
Advances in beef carcass cleaning
Beef carcass cleaning has been thought of as “carcass washing”. Historically, water has been used to reduce microbial contamination and remove more...
Advances in evaluation of carcass quality for pork
In general, pork quality is a combination of traits that provide for a wholesome, attractive, appetizing, nutritious and palatable product (Kauffman et more...
April 2011
Knife science: What are the newest technologies for food safety, worker safety, efficacy in this most basic of equipment?
In many ways, the basic shape and functionality of knives has changed little since mankind first fashioned them from volcanic rock more than 2 million more...
Microbiology basics: understanding microbial growth
One of the most common groups of microorganisms studied in microbiology are bacteria. Their presence in meat processing, and managing that presence, is more...
March 2011
Advances in beef stunning methods
It is imperative that beef cattle slaughtered for food production be rendered instantly unconscious (stunned insensible) prior to slaughter. Traditional more...
Stunning technology improvements for pork
Recent improvements in stunning technology for hogs have been hard to come by, with much of the research having been conducted over 10 years ago, and more...
January 2011
New further processed poultry products: Mimicking beef and pork
Many products traditionally made from beef or pork have market potential for poultry, from coarse ground to sausages to ready-to-eat meals. Consumer demand more...
December 2010
Equipment factors to consider when making artisan sausages
The key to making high-end artisan product is using the craft and artisan spirit of days past, while embracing advancements in processing technology in more...
Weighing the pros and cons of anatomical deboning vs. dynamic deboning for pork
Anatomical deboning, which involves identifying and removing whole muscles from the carcass, is potentially a way to increase retail yields of pork while more...
November 2010
Evaluating rapid cooling methods
The requirements for chilling cooked meat products to meet USDA safety requirements and maximize product quality have provided a significant challenge more...
Optimizing ground beef process design
The production of ground beef has changed drastically in recent years, mostly in response to safety concerns and the need to “test and hold” more...
October 2010
Optimizing the use of CO packaging to extend shelf life of fresh poultry meat
In general, there are two main kinds of headspace-altering packaging techniques: The first is modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), and the second is controlled more...
September 2010
Adapting your process for ritual slaughter
Kosher and Halal describe what is "fit and proper" to eat for two groups of people, Jews and Muslims, respectively. These religious-based means of producing more...
Adapting 'green' packaging materials to your products
Governments and regulatory agencies are pushing a “green” agenda, adding to consumer advocate pressure for food packagers to use more environmentally more...
August 2010
Natural vs. artificial casings: Evaluating which is best for your product
In any discussion of natural vs. artificial casings, it is necessary to consider the properties of each type of casing independently and determine how more...
Selecting the best meat tenderization method for your product
Tenderness is the most important “taste” factor influencing enjoyment of meat. There are several tried and true methods to improve meat tenderness more...
Adapting your process for ritual slaughter
Converting a conventional poultry processing plant for ritual slaughter involves more than might seem obvious. There is a misconception that the only more...
Managing the pros and cons of anatomical deboning vs. dynamic deboning for beef
First let’s define anatomical and dynamic deboning. Anatomical deboning is fabricating cuts from whole muscles whenever possible; this has been more...
Utilizing starches to maximize processing yields
Starches can be derived from a variety of carbohydrate sources. Dent corn, waxy corn, tapioca, potato, rice, and wheat are all common sources of starch more...
July 2010
Sausage 101: Basic manufacturing of salami
A great variety of salamis exist throughout the world. Their variations are mainly related to the type of meat used, if it is fermented or cooked, the more...
Improving ground meat products with new extenders
The use of extenders is not a new concept for ground meat; the idea that extenders can "improve" ground meat is. Previous meat extenders were more...
June 2010
Evaluating packaging alternatives for heat-and-serve meals
Paul Dawson contributed this piece. The thought of meat-based pre-packaged meals take some of us back to frozen TV dinners and boil-in-bag entrees of more...
Using soy protein as an extender for emulsified products
The protein in soy beans is considered one of the most complete vegetable proteins. As an ingredient for meat products, soy protein can enhance sensory more...
Optimizing sanitation with robotics
According to Webster a robot is either a device that automatically performs complicated, often repetitive, tasks or any mechanism guided by automatic more...
May 2010
Optimizing CO packaging to extend fresh meat shelf life
The use of carbon monoxide (CO) for modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) of fresh meat is a relatively recent option for the meat industry. Approval of more...
April 2010
Choosing the best smoking method for your product
The application of smoke to meat products has evolved dramatically from what was once a relatively crude process to what is now a highly controlled, science-based more...
March 2010
Improving poultry meat texture and yield
Live animal handling, post-rigor muscle biochemistry and the inclusion of non-meat ingredients through tumbling and/or injection have an impact on breast more...
Weighing the pros and cons of high-pressure pasteurization
High-pressure pasteurization has been used in the food industry for several decades. The process works by applying extremely high pressure to foods, holding more...
February 2010
Formulating low-fat meat batters for hot dogs and bologna
Now more than ever, consumers are choosing healthier, lower-fat foods. Given the fact that fat is part of meat, this presents a challenge to processors more...
January 2010
Basic manufacturing of bacon
Manufacturing bacon is a simple process that usually involves injection followed by a short massaging process and cooking along with smoking and chilling more...
December 2009
The three most common errors processors make with vacuum packaging
Vacuum packaging fills so many bills for processors: It's efficient and it makes packing and shipping more efficient; it shows off the product nicely more...
November 2009
Anticipating shelf life with predictive microbiology
While predictive microbiology has existed for nearly a century, it has only recently come into widespread use. Predictive microbiology is a quantitative more...
Evaluating packaging options to maximize color stability
Color stability is one of the most fragile properties of fresh meat, particularly in retail displays, where light exposure and fluctuating temperatures more...
Choosing the best phosphate for your product
There are numerous types and blends of phosphates, many of which are made specifically for various types of products. By choosing the appropriate phosphate more...
Ingredient additives that preserve fresh meat color
Because fresh meat color is relatively short-lived but is absolutely critical to retail sales, there has been a great deal of interest in ways to stabilize more...
October 2009
Obtaining better yields and texture with carrageenan in processed meats
Carrageenan is a polysaccharide extracted from seaweed that forms a thermo-reversible gel. There are three main types of carrageenan — iota, Lambda more...
Sustainable packaging: Is it right for your product?
Pressure from consumers and environmental advocacy groups has increased interest in "sustainable" meat production practices. One of the important more...
Evaluating the economics of manual vs. mechanical deboning
For many years, the high cost of mechanical deboning and its relatively low yield made it unattractive as a replacement for manual deboning. In spite more...
Mastering rapid microbial testing
Much has been written about rapid microbial testing, but what is "rapid" testing anyway? The most common application of rapid microbial testing for food more...
September 2009
Advantages of pre-sliced deli meat
It's easy to forget that retailers can play a critical role in ensuring the wholesomeness and safety of meat, particularly meat subject to handling by more...
Maintaining electrical stunning systems to ensure humane slaughter
Electrical stunning systems are under frequent attack from animal rights groups. They make statements concerning the number of birds that miss the stunner more...
August 2009
Optimal tenderizer maintenance
Although they initially were developed for curing, meat injectors are now used to tenderize a variety of fresh meats, including various cuts of beef, more...
Tapping robotics for further processing in poultry plants
Robots go well beyond automation. Automation simply performs specific tasks. Thigh deboners, cut-up equipment and skinners are classic examples of automated more...
Keeping knives sharp to increase yields
Knives are to blame for about 60 percent of the injuries operators suffer in a meat processing operation, mainly due to repetitive strain injury, unsharpened more...
Optimal conveyor design for poultry plants
Poultry plants are a web of conveyors. The overhead conveyors used in slaughter plants to move birds from the shackling area to cut-up and packaging have more...
An in-depth look at E. coli interventions
To effectively control E. coli — the pathogenic type, such as E. coli 0157:H7, not the harmless bacteria found in the intestines of all mammals more...
July 2009
Ensuring consistent burner performance on continuous cookers
High-efficiency gas fryers can be a costly proposition — and in more ways than one — if burners don't undergo periodic maintenance. A poorly more...
Keeping conveyors pathogen-free
There is probably no processing component more prone to contamination than the conveyor. Some products undergo slicing, others grinding and forming, but more...
Proper maintenance of refrigeration systems
A complete understanding of how your refrigeration system works is the most valuable factor in refrigeration maintenance. Ignorance can change a minor more...
June 2009
Operating and maintaining massaging and tumbling systems
Massagers and tumblers enhance the binding and water-holding capacity for a variety of raw, whole-muscle meats, including beef and pork. A primary objective more...
Controlling quality factors during hot dog stuffing
Stuffing can have an impact on the appearance of hot dogs. However, a few process variables before and during stuffing can be controlled to ensure a high-quality more...
Selection and maintenance of picking fingers
Complete feather removal without carcass damage is the goal of every poultry processing plant. This goal, however, is seldom achieved even for short periods more...
New packaging options for marinated meat and poultry
Marinating meat and poultry is usually associated with improving taste and tenderness as well as adding flavor; however, many marinades also add color more...
Three key factors to increase marinade retention
Marination is a process used to enhance the tenderness, juiciness and flavor of meat pieces through application of a seasoned mixture of water, acids more...
May 2009
Applying new technologies to decontaminate beef carcasses
Most beef processors use multiple interventions, referred to as "hurdle technology," to reduce bacterial pathogen levels on the surface of beef carcasses more...
April 2009
Smokehouses: Maintenance tips to keep air flowing
Smokehouses are relatively simple systems, yet they perform complex processes that incorporate heat, steam, water, humidity and, of course, smoke to produce more...
Mastering seven key variables that impact smokehouse yield and output
With smoked meats, conditions as variable as heat, humidity and airflow must be precisely calibrated to produce uniform product. Poor uniformity not only more...
March 2009
Selecting optimal packaging for further processed product
Nowadays, consumers are asking not only for safer meat products, but also for quality and convenience. Packaging plays a huge role in delivering all of more...
Maintenance and operation of gas stunners
Controlled Atmosphere stunning (CAS) or gas stunning is still very new to the U.S. poultry industry with few plants utilizing this technology. For that more...
February 2009
Maximizing temperature control to curb pathogens in further processed poultry
There is very little that can be done to minimize bacterial contamination and growth once carcasses leave the chiller. It is therefore absolutely necessary more...
Selecting "green" packaging for further-processed poultry
If you're looking to switch up your packaging – maybe you need new machinery, want to use new materials or are just looking to make a change, going eco-friendly more...
January 2009
Using video technology in the plant
Beyond the jerky, black-and-gray screens of security cameras, today's video technology equips processors with tools to optimize productivity and profitability more...
Maximizing raw material value with vision grading
The ability to sort raw material into common lots based on physical characteristics can provide greater opportunities for marketing or increased production more...
Next-generation packaging for bacon
Fat puts the sizzle in fried bacon, but it also can smear and smudge product packaging, potentially contaminating the seal area. Fact is, bacon has always more...
December 2008
Formulating deep marinades for fresh beef
The use of deep marinades, referred to as enhancement or pumping, aims to improve the tenderness and juiciness of fresh beef. Deep-marinated fresh beef more...
Using antioxidants to enhance the color of fresh meat
Meat color may vary from the deep purplish-red of freshly cut beef to the light gray of faded cured pork, but it is the deep cherry-red color of oxymyoglobin more...
November 2008
Poultry yield and quality control: A first-processing checklist
As pressure on poultry plants to improve microbiological controls increases, it becomes all-too easy to neglect items that affect yield and overall quality more...
Precision cutting for maximum breast yields
The list of boned white meat poultry products seems endless and is constantly increasing. Yet, most of the meat must be separated from the bone using more...
October 2008
Formulating deep marinades for fresh pork
Deep marinating, also known as "enhancement" or "pumping," is commonly used to improve the eating quality of many fresh pork cuts. Enhancement has been more...
The X-ray files: What to ask when evaluating imaging technology
Although X-ray imaging is designed to ferret out contaminants in meat and other food products, the first question many plant operators ask is whether more...
September 2008
MAP alternatives for RTE meats
Much of the discussion of modified atmosphere packaging options have centered on gas mixtures that best bring out the red in fresh meat while deterring more...
Using ozone as an antimicrobial
Ozone was first approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2001 as a GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) substance to be used as a sanitizer for more...
August 2008
Advantages and disadvantages of rapid testing for listeria
Listeria monocytogenes (LM) is the No. 1 cause of bacteria-related food recalls in the United States, according to USDA. There is a growing need for rapid more...
Enhancing deboned poultry tenderness with electrical stimulation
Characteristics such as color or visible defects drive consumers to choose a particular brand of chicken. However, once the product has been purchased more...
Immersion vs. air: Picking the best chilling solution for your poultry plant
To minimize the potential for bacterial growth on processed poultry carcasses, it is necessary to reduce their temperature from the 100F (38C) of live more...
July 2008
Tips to optimize your grinding operation
Particle reduction is the basic technology for producing many meat products. During the process of grinding meat, many factors affect quality and must more...
How, when and why to recycle chiller water
Recycling chiller water has been considered difficult due to existing regulations, equipment deficiencies and the lack of acceptable microbiocides. But more...
June 2008
Tips for dicing raw and cooked meat products
An increasing number of grab-n-go soups, salads, pizzas and the like is prompting greater demand for all manner and size of diced meat product. For reasons more...
Optimizing your water reuse potential in first processing
Drought conditions and the cost of wastewater treatment are two of the reasons for reusing as much water as possible. USDA regulations do, however, govern more...
New technologies for pre-scald pathogen control
The quest for a mechanism to remove Salmonella contamination from poultry in the processing plant has continued for more than 30 years. However, the recent more...
May 2008
Maximizing yield — live poultry through evisceration
Many plants fail to adequately track yield, which can lead to a high percentage of yield that is labeled "unaccounted for." Since many factors affect more...
Assessing immersion vs. steam scalding in poultry processing
Scalding is an essential step in poultry processing as it facilitates feather removal. In most of today's plants, birds are scalded by hot-water immersion more...
Evaluating oven and fryer validation and control software
Uniformity, consistency and safety are all hallmarks of properly cooked meat product. Because production volumes have increased exponentially in recent more...
April 2008
Using textured soy protein as a meat extender
In the last few years, the demand for meat extenders and meat analogs has been on the rise. Textured soy protein (TSP) has traditionally been used as more...
Tips to avoid giveaway during slicing
Problems with giveaway among sliced whole-muscle meat cuts often prompt operators to focus on problems with the slicing equipment, including dull blades more...
Proper cooling — hitting target temperatures to inhibit microbial growth in cooked poultry products
A recent survey conducted by Meatingplace.com indicated that most people understand the internal temperature required to make poultry safe to eat. While more...
March 2008
Ham production basics
During ham processing, muscle pieces must be tightly bound to develop a protein matrix that could eventually be sliced and handled without breakage. It more...
Maximizing poultry tenderness with marination
Marination is commonly utilized in the poultry industry to ensure that meat is both tender and juicy. The three main ingredients in marinades are water more...
February 2008
Formulating tips for improving the shape and texture of burgers and meatballs
Forming fresh, ground meat products with acceptable texture can be difficult, because ingredients, processing and handling all affect how formed meat more...
Rapid cooling methods for preserving taste, texture and color
Cooling processes help ensure meat product safety; increase shelf life; retain desirable color, flavor and tenderness; and, in some cases, meet regulatory more...
Automated hog slaughter: Rotary blades vs. cleavers
Pork processors face a constantly growing need to improve efficiency in the face of labor problems and higher costs of processing inputs. Increasing automation more...
January 2008
Boosting quality with statistical process controls
Whether to monitor product quality, food safety or yields, many process control programs emphasize detection of problems in the end-product rather than more...
Clean-in-place: An alternative approach to smokehouse maintenance
Automated clean-in-place systems are part and parcel of many a dairy and beverage operation, but they have seen relatively little use in meat plants, more...
December 2007
Forming poultry: To slice or to press?
Further processed poultry products include batter breaded patties, nuggets, luncheon meats, turkey ham, turkey bacon, frankfurters, bologna, etc. These more...
Achieving optimal results from tumbling and massaging
Tumbling and massaging are important processes in the creation of meat and poultry products, though different products may require one or the other, or more...
Basics of tempering, thawing meat
The use of frozen, raw meat for further processing requires proper tempering and thawing to prevent purge or quality loss. Additionally, improper thawing more...
Reducing yield loss with cryogenic freezing
The science of cryogenics has led to the use of very low temperatures in many production processes. It has even been used to freeze humans such as baseball more...
Injector maintenance: Needle rotation and cleaning
Injected or enhanced meat products are highly profitable and often prized by consumers, but failure to maintain injector needles can lead to both food-safety more...
November 2007
Injector operation and maintenance
In today's poultry processing plant, marinating or brining equipment is nearly as common as a chiller. Injection systems have become more and more common more...
October 2007
Automation options for small-scale poultry processing
The number of small poultry processors in the United States is increasing along with the capacity of these operations. No longer are they only single more...
The ABCs of poultry plant sanitation
Good sanitation and temperature controls are our main tools for winning the race against bacteria. Research has shown that low bacteria numbers can increase more...
September 2007
Selecting barrier packaging for poultry
Poultry is commonly packaged in plastic (polymer) trays over-wrapped with a film and bags in retail channels. Since the film can be made from a variety more...
Good form: Achieving consistent shape in sausages
Turning out identical sausages time after time is the key to profitability in what is often a low-margin business with little room for error. Unfortunately more...
Working with coated casings
Sausage casings coated on the inside with alginates and the like are meant to improve peelability and, generally speaking, they do. However, they aren't more...
Precision techniques for poultry deboning
There's no doubt that convenience is king in the United States, and Americans are more apt than ever to choose boneless poultry products. While deboned more...
August 2007
Preventing buildup of nervous tissues on saw blades
Owing to concerns about bovine spongiform encephalopathy, USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service requires that saw blades used to split or cut through more...
Avoiding uneven carcass splits
Yields and speed are essential to ensuring the profitability of any slaughter operation; consequently, loss in yield or slowing of fabrication to account more...
Assessing wet vs. dry beef aging
As most processors know, aging is a standard method for tenderizing meat, and works best when employed over periods of 10 to 21 days. There is, of course more...
Using natural antimicrobial ingredients in poultry processing
Increased shelf life in fresh poultry products allows processors, distributors and retailers more flexibility and better profits. To prolong shelf life more...
July 2007
Forming tips to guarantee better beef patties
Pressing ground beef into a mold to form a patty may sound like an easy task, but many hamburger manufacturers face challenges with this process. Major more...
Optimizing moisture control in the chiller
Historically, the amount of water that a bird could pick up in the carcass chiller was regulated according to the final product. More recently, however more...
Using clean-in-place equipment for poultry processing
Long used by beverage and dairy processors, clean-in-place (CIP) sanitation systems have made less significant headway into poultry processing. By circulating more...
June 2007
Reverse temperature cooking for better roast beef
Commercial production of tender, juicy and flavorful cooked roast beef can be a tough proposition, one of the tricks being to brown product without drying more...
Conserve it or lose it: managing water in the plant
Maintaining a supply of fresh water is becoming a problem in some areas of the United States while wastewater disposal is a problem for virtually every more...
Tips to improve slice quality in hams
As with other meats, slice quality is an important characteristic of ham. Individual muscle pieces must be closely bound, and must develop a protein matrix more...
May 2007
The ABCs of poultry picking
No two poultry plants operate exactly the same, and that is as true in the picking room as in any other part of the facility. While plants may be different more...
IFFA post-show report: You, robot
The humans outnumbered the robots at IFFA 2007 in Frankfurt, Germany, earlier this month, but just barely. European processors and suppliers have long more...
Basic grinder maintenance for poultry processors
Upstream, downline or inline, grinders come in many shapes and configurations. No matter their incarnation, grinders all have a common problem — more...
How to avoid bruising during electrical poultry stunning
Throughout the poultry processing cycle, each operation hides a handful of threats to final product quality. If not properly and, mostly, preventively more...
April 2007
Extending shelf life of meat products with active packaging
Changes in the processing, distribution and storage of meat products reflect increasing consumer demand for improved quality and extended shelf life. more...
Lucky 13: Your guide to IFFA's top exhibits
IFFA showcases innovative technology from around the globe, so it's hardly surprising that the show bills itself as "the world's leading trade fair for more...
Producing high-quality steam for further processed poultry
Whether using steam for shrink-wrap, as an antimicrobial treatment or as a method of cooking, the quality of the steam is important. Steam quality is more...
Low-sodium, low-fat formulations for frankfurters
Americans these days are seeking healthier and more convenient foods, and theoretically, a low-fat, low-salt hot dog should be an instant winner. Although more...
Precision stuffing for franks
Although the frankfurter market is dominated by large national brands, most of the growth in the category comes from higher-end regional products, often more...
March 2007
Five critical steps for equipment cleaning and sanitation
Cleaning and sanitizing equipment and surfaces in direct contact with food product is critical, and the development and deployment of standard operational more...
Blown gaskets and other reasons why your package won't seal
Just one recall of poorly sealed meat can all but seal the deal for processors, triggering hundreds and thousands of dollars of losses, to say nothing more...
Ensuring your meat stays afloat in chilis and soups
Ideally, large pieces of meat are dispersed evenly in soups and chilis. But to figure out how to keep meat afloat, we first need to understand the concepts more...
February 2007
CO2 freezing systems: Safety and maintenance basics
Mechanical and cryogenic freezing systems depend upon gases to chill. These gases present specific hazards and thus require special attention from maintenance more...
10 IPE show-stoppers
While there were acres of offerings at the 2007 International Poultry Expo in Atlanta, a few stood apart from the crowd. Check out these product picks more...
Using phosphates to maximize poultry yield
Maximizing yield is critical to every poultry processor. Marination or the additions of seasoned moisture to fresh poultry has become a common practice more...
Maintenance schedules for form, fill and seal equipment
Automated equipment that can form, fill and seal packages in a continuous manner is a marvel of modern engineering and efficiency. However, these complex more...
January 2007
Cutting poultry operational costs with electrical stimulation
Chicken breast is a top-ranking raw material among the many meats available. Thanks to its low fat content, it is largely preferred over dark meat in more...
Reducing bacteria counts in poultry with organic acids
Birds naturally carry bacteria such as salmonella, E. coli, and campylobacter. Because these bacteria are pathogenic, they are of great concern to poultry more...
IPE preview: 10 must-see products at this year's show
This year's IPE will be bigger than ever, and let's face it: It might be a bit overwhelming. There are thousands of products and people on the show floor more...
December 2006
Information overload: QA data collection that cuts to the chase
A comprehensive quality-assurance program can quickly grow into a record-keeping and data-management nightmare, and still not provide the information more...
November 2006
Injectors: Three sure ways to contaminate pork loins
Injecting pork loins is a proven way to improve tenderness and juiciness. However, care must be taken to ensure the injection process doesn't result in more...
Worth the weight: Steak-slicing techniques that optimize yield
With the weights of beef cattle having swelled to as high as 1,400 lbs., it shouldn't come as a surprise that the prime areas of the animal, including more...
October 2006
How to speed up rapid-response pathogen testing
During the past 10 years, the speed at which pathogens can be detected in meat has improved substantially, with newer methods delivering consistently more...
The cling factor: Rub formulations that are sure to stick
Although rubs are available as liquids or powders, ensuring they adhere to meat is as tricky with one as the other. Made up of herbs and spices, dry rubs more...
September 2006
It's a wrap: How to tell whether in-line shrink packaging is for you
By now, the virtues of in-line shrink packaging technology are fairly well established. The labor savings can be considerable, in view of the fact that more...
Three ways to avoid standing water
Pools of standing water are a common sight in processing plants, and controlling them can be a constant battle. But battle processors must, since standing more...
AMI Showcase preview: 10 exhibits you can't miss
The American Meat Institute's annual Innovation Showcase & Convention takes Hollywood, Fla., by storm this year, with more than 75 exhibitors showcasing more...
Holy smokes! Hot spots that gum up your smokers
By their very nature, smokehouses are dirty and sooty and — owing to their numerous motors, hydraulics, dampers and electronics — eventually more...
August 2006
Some disassembly required: Tips for cleaning your bacon slicer
Bacon is a unique product. It's typically heat-treated, but not fully cooked, a condition potentially conducive to the survival of pathogens. The good more...
June 2006
The missing linker: Tips for producing uniform clipped products
Matching the right stuffer, the right clip, the right linker, the right casing and the right hanging technique is vital to producing a consistently uniform more...
IFT Show preview: 10 must-see ingredients and technologies
Look for health and wellness to dominate the Institute of Food Technologists' Annual Meeting and Food Expo in Orlando, Fla., on June 24 - 28. Sure, savory more...
April 2006
Good Form: Three tips to extend your former's operating life
All meat formers, including ground or whole muscle applications, require careful maintenance and inspection to maximize production efficiency and extend more...
March 2006
RFID: Tips for collecting—and maintaining— accurate data
Radio frequency identification has been slow to reach the meat industry. But make no mistake--it is coming, in part because the government, retailers more...
February 2006
Listeria alert! Maintenance tips keep your slicer’s blade pathogen-free
Controlling Listeria monocytogenes is obviously an important sanitation issue, especially for processors of sliced deli meats. The U.S. Department of more...
IPE Review: 10 stars of the 2006 show
The 2006 International Poultry Expo marked the 58th annual installment of the event, and as usual, the show offered hundreds of exhibits for the thousands more...
Calibrating carbon monoxide content in modified atmosphere packaging
While the Food and Drug Administration has granted GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status for the use of carbon monoxide in MAP packaging of case-ready more...
January 2006
Bar codes and labelers: Seven rules to stick by
Believe it or not, doing too good a job on sanitation can actually lead to labeling and bar code problems in meat processing environments. Why? Processors more...
IPE Preview: 10 must-see technologies at this year's show
Let's face it: Finding what you're looking for at the annual International Poultry Expo, billed as the largest poultry show in the world, can be absolutely more...
Tales from the boneyard -- Common problems that can kill your cooker
What's one of the first signs that your oven's air-handling system is malfunctioning? Color. A fresh air intake that isn't opening won't allow for adequate more...
