Meat and Poultry Processing

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When a look ahead was taken a year ago at this time, the discussion focused on the pending game-changer. That is, when and how much will the China market reopen for U.S. chicken?

Demand drivers. Even without a worldwide pandemic, economic shutdowns and disruptions in food processing, Dan Basse would have covered demand drivers at the 15th annual Feeding Quality Forum.

This year has been a year of unprecedented challenge for the beef industry as we all adapted to navigate a changed world amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Because of COVID-19, 2020 is the ultimate anomaly. Millions of Americans are working from home or sequestered at home. The marketplace disruption caused by COVID-19 spells uncertainty for the year’s most anticipated food and beverage trends.

Margins in the food industry have always been thin. This is because retailers and other customers are continuously pushing food manufacturers and suppliers to lower costs.

Shocks to the beef industry were all part of 2020’s "unprecedented" theme, but how the market responded was less surprising. There was nothing for it but to make new plans and keep going said a RaboResearch analyst.

While many meat and poultry processors have long used fat analysis systems to measure leanness levels, evolving technologies are making it simpler for the operators to perform readings.

As much as we may hope for traditional gatherings over the holidays, this year’s celebrations will certainly look different because of COVID-19. But younger consumers were already driving changes to holiday celebrations. 

Keeping equipment properly lubricated is vital if plant operators are to maximize the life of technologies and enjoy optimal output with limited downtime. Analysts say the best way to do this is by implementing a strict lubrication regimen.

In the ongoing war against pathogens in meat and poultry plants, bacteriophages are becoming a potentially potent weapon.