Cooked meats continue to be a staple with UK consumers and come in many guises, with product development in this area particularly strong. Interfood Technology has been supplying equipment for this important sector of the food processing industry for almost a quarter of a century and recognises the many different processes involved.
Understanding the challenges of each individual process is important, as is an appreciation of how those processes can flow seamlessly from one to another through complete line solutions.
Preparation
Ensuring the consistency and accuracy of the end product is an overriding contributor in reducing product waste. In cooked meat products that means a focus on every stage of the production process. In the first stages this covers material preparation which can involve a number of processes, from defrosting, tempering, grinding and cutting to curing, injection, clipping, forming and moulding, depending on the requirements of the product. At Interfood the ability to deliver consistency is a real focus in the equipment supplied.
Microwave technology, for example, enables the raw blocks of meat to be thawed quickly and efficiently, eliminating drip loss without affecting organoleptic properties. It offers significant efficiency improvements over traditional chilled tempering room processes.
The K+G Wetter range of bowl cutters, mixers and grinders feature CutControl recipe management software allowing stored cutting and mixing processes to be easily retrieved to ensure exact replication.
Another example is the U 200 mixer grinder which uses a patented process to keep the mixer and grinder sections of the machine completely separate. This avoids the formation of ‘dead spaces’ during mixing – a common problem with conventional mixer grinders – which can lead to many kilograms of material in larger capacity machines entering this dead space where it is then ground in an unmixed state.
If clipping is an option, the increasing focus on sustainable processing is addressed through Poly-clip clip-closure solutions which offer material savings and are more CO2-friendly than many alternative methods such as cans, plastic cartridges or cups.
Cooking
Cooking is also obviously a fundamental process in the production of cooked meat products. Controlled process cooking maximises yields and creates a consistent product providing stability for further processing such as slicing.
Amongst the partners Interfood has in its Thermal Processing and Conditioning Division are Maurer-Atmos Middleby, leaders in class for the thermal treatment of cooked meats.
The KK and ASR series of chambers are heated with direct steam, gas or electric elements which offers space-saving design at a low investment cost. Again, consistency of end product is a prime focus with best-in-class airflow to ensure even temperature distribution, multiple temperature probes for core temperature control and optional smoking systems.
This control of operations needs to continue throughout a complete processing line to ensure that everything possible is recovered from the processed raw material, including in the slicing of the product. This can make a major contribution to minimising operating costs. Intelligent full slicing line solutions, for example, can significantly reduce costs by requiring less raw material to produce the same output achieved from more basic systems, meaning that less needs to be manufactured in the first place at the initial processing stage.
For a flame grilled or roast appearance, Interfood partners with Marlen on their Afoselect range of equipment.
Weber Solutions
Interfood is a partner of Weber Food Technology and offers equipment solutions for all cooked meat products and operation sizes. This ranges from compact, standalone slicers such as the weSLICE 1000 able to cut to an accuracy of 0.1mm, through to fully automated whole line solutions incorporating the weSLICE 9500 and wePACK 7000 capable of running up to 200ppm+ depending on the application.
Such solutions can include the latest weSCAN scanner for proactive weight control, in conjunction with Vario grippers which allow even natural products to be run at 0.3% giveaway or better. This, in turn, increases yield recovery possibilities. Advances in blade technology and control slice accuracy of even delicate, softer products ensures no compromise on any slicing performance metric.
High yields and throughput are complemented by the minimal number of operators required on Weber whole line solutions.
With a range of loading modules, including automatic infeeding and pick and place, the requirement for people is reduced due to the flexibility and repeatability of the loading systems. This is all brought together through Weber ONEcontrol, giving true line integration, with any component able to be operated/optimised from any HMI on the line.
In terms of packaging machines, the Weber wePACK utilises the very latest innovations in sustainable packaging solutions and incorporates smart systems to help reduce packaging waste and lower energy consumption, again contributing to cost reductions. Reduced labour costs are also a consequence of increased automation with features such as smart line control and data extraction.
End-of-Line
Similarly, inspection and verification equipment from Sparc Systems can seamlessly integrate into these lines to reduce raw material waste. A good example of this are Sparc checkweighers offering combined systems with accurate weighing, detection for contaminants and inspection for labelling/date code errors. Positioned at the point of packing, the systems allow all raw material to be reused from rejected packs, whilst maintaining the highest brand security and quality.
Automatic line set up using the Atlas fail safe system ensures that the line is quickly and accurately set up ready for production start. The system then ensures that the correct programs, date codes and packaging are maintained throughout the run to reduce waste and ensure consistent pack quality.
Cooked meat line solutions are also often complemented by the addition of Buhmann automated case packing systems which can offer significant reductions in required labour and increased productivity. Quick format changes and flexibility are combined with the lower cost of packaging consumables using flat blanks rather than pre-made boxes to optimise cost savings and improve line efficiency.
Service & Training
In addition to the focus on the equipment itself, the importance to the bottom line of service packages and training programmes should never be under-estimated. By ensuring the best use and operation of the equipment on an ongoing basis – minimising downtime and enabling operators to fully understand the capabilities of the equipment – cooked meat product manufacturers can optimise performance.
It is important that in choosing an equipment supplier, processors identify those who have the experience and full process know-how to maximise efficiency and minimise cost of operation.
Interfood Technology is the sole distributor in the UK and Ireland for the world’s leading manufacturers of food processing equipment. From consultation and workflow planning to training, maintenance and support, Interfood Technology is the supplier of choice for many of the world’s leading food manufacturers and brands. Talk to our experts about preparation, cooking, slicing, packaging and other equipment solutions for meat, poultry, fish, cheese, plant-based and more.
