Food-grade lubricants, one of the essential elements in protecting both machinery and proteins during the production process, are becoming more powerful. Responding to the growing demand by meat producers for greases that can better withstand cleanings and operate under extreme conditions, developers are enhancing products that meet U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations for use in plants where there is the possibility of incidental food contact and subsequent contamination.

It is the time of year that many small meat processors are actively involved in manufacturing venison products for hunters. Venison processing is frequently an important part of the total annual business for small processors.

Developing an Exit Strategy is a stewardship responsibility of ownership. Initiation of an exit strategy is the ultimate stimulus of the succession process. Many of my clients are in the

A hearty breakfast featuring smoked sausage is a winter time favorite. However, don’t think of smoked sausage as only a breakfast item, as it is also an excellent entrée for

Meat, poultry, seafood and prepared foods processors are increasingly faced with the growing challenge of protecting water resources, regardless of rural or urban locations. While water conservation and wastewater pretreatment have been the primary drivers, managing stormwater is more and more a key component of any water resource management strategy.

After all the work it takes to create the perfect roast beef or turkey breast, it would be a shame to have the product damaged at the slicing stage. For that reason, companies that feature sliced products put a great deal of importance on slicing equipment.

There is a very wise saying that goes “If you want to be successful, make your boss look good.” The phrase translates very well into “If you want to be

Many years ago our quality assurance team was working with one of our customer’s food safety experts when we ran into a challenge. We had learned about a potential food

Injection and marination are intended to add solutions to meat to affect product color, texture, flavor, plus protein and water-binding abilities. Even and consistent distribution of these solutions throughout whole-muscle product should be the ultimate goal, and injection can maximize the uniformity of the solution distribution.

Energy efficiency is the first thing to come to mind when discussing facility lighting challenges, but what are some of the other issues protein (or food) processors face when choosing lighting solutions for their processing areas?