Uncovering the best ways to cut water and energy use in meat and poultry plants is akin to solving a puzzle. While obvious measures alone can lead to big paybacks, it takes patience and creativity for operators to uncover all possible sources of waste and the best strategies for optimal gains.

In the past, fat analysis during the mixing and blending process was determined by a "butcher's eye." Procedures have certainly progressed since then, with producers using X-ray and infrared scanners, and now dual-energy X-ray technology.

The deviations caused by the failure to meet CCPs can range in severity but will undoubtedly result in a recall if product is passed into commerce before the deviation can be addressed.

The traditional jerky and snack sticks have been joined by meat bars, meaty trail mix and many other novel configurations. Growth in the sector has fueled innovation, as more companies join the hunt to capture market share of meat snacks.

Brant’s Market served Kansans for nearly 100 years, but paperwork and regulations caused it to close.

It's no surprise that energy efficiency is good for the bottom line—people, planet and profit—especially in an energy-dependent group such as the foodservice industry.

Increasingly, consumers want their meat to be raised and slaughtered in a humane way. Is the protein industry changing to better meet consumer expectations?

It's an honest mindset: Cattle prices go up, beef prices go up; cattle prices go down, beef prices … stay where they are?