When manufacturing sausage products we essentially do four things; comminute meat (comminute is a fancy word for reduction in particle size i.e. grinding, flaking, dicing or chopping), season the product, manipulate proteins and shape the product.

The term “time-tested” may not properly describe the processes of grinding and stuffing meat, simply because it may not infer enough distance in time. To be certain, grinding protein is an art and skill that dates forever, and stuffing of meat into casings is just as longstanding a tradition as far as protein-processing goes.

According to the recent National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s (NCBA) “2010 National Meat Case Study,” whole-muscle beef products are holding their own in the meat case, representing 40 percent of packages at supermarkets and club stores.

After a year of innovation, food-grade lubricant manufacturers are focusing on achieving more stringent certification after a new batch of food recalls in 2010.

Cargill has completed projects to expand its already extensive food-safety efforts at its Fresno, Calif., beef-production facility, having spent $4.2 million to install a hide-on-carcass wash. The wash closely resembles a “car wash for cattle,” in which the hides of animals are scrubbed with spinning bristles and a mild bromine solution that kills bacteria at the beginning of the harvesting process.

Freezing systems remain one of the key systems in food production overall, and in the protein-processing industry, the challenges processors and other companies face in this realm hit from many angles. From sustainability to maintenance and worker safety, issues abound for processors.

Every food-processing plant today is looking for new ways to automate their process. It seems the most common method of justifying any robotic or automation project (including inspection) is labor replacement.

Sausage may have the dollar menu at McDonald’s to thank for its resilience last year. Savvy breakfast eaters could find sausage biscuits, burritos and McMuffins at their local drive-throughs, and other fast-food and quick-serve restaurants (QSR) — including a surprising rebound from pizza restaurants — offered more low-priced options.

The meat and poultry industry is committed to ensuring a safe food product for our customers, maintaining the highest animal-welfare standards for our livestock, providing a safe and rewarding work environment to our employees, reaching out to the communities in which we do business, and working to minimize our environmental impact.