Driven by consumer preference for natural or clean-label products, shelf-life-extending ingredients that are growing continue to be natural or clean-label ingredients.

Processors have several options for pasteurization, including high-pressure pasteurization (HPP), hot water, steam, hot air, infrared heat, radiofrequency and irradiation. Hot water, steam and HPP are the most popular, with HPP and hot water growing the fastest, says Wes Shilling, professor of food science at Mississippi State University in Mississippi State.

Salt contributes much to meat products — flavor, water-holding capacity and food safety. The top challenge for meat and poultry processors is that sodium comes primarily from the sodium chloride in brines, marinades and seasonings along with the leavening agents in batters and breadings and the sodium bicarbonate in bread crumbs. 

The fresh-meat forming process works best with quality raw materials, but equipment and process can overcome many raw-material flaws.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought its own set of challenges to whole-muscle processing.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. consumer purchase behavior has shifted to more retail and less foodservice, and ground products have been go-to-products for people sheltering in place. In turn, increased demands to meet production needs are challenging processors to keep grinding and stuffing equipment highly operational at top speeds.

The benefits of portion control slicing equipment are numerous for smaller processors.

Several companies recently started using natural antioxidants and limiting the use of synthetic versions, such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) or butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT).

Processors continue to increase the use of natural antimicrobial ingredients as they move toward cleaner labels. Identifying these natural compounds or groups of compounds that function singularly or together to be effective as antimicrobial systems in their products remains a top development area for them, says Jeff Sindelar, extension meat specialist and associate professor in Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Barbecue is growing moderately in restaurants, with overall barbecue menu items growing 11 percent from the fourth quarter of 2016 to the fourth quarter of 2019, according to Chicago-based Mintel International’s Menu Insights (MMI).