Featured Stories - Articles - Page 3 | The National Provisioner

K'Nack: A knack for quality cured meats

Whether it’s at RJ's Meats or K'Nack, people know to expect great things from the Reams family.

April 24, 2019

Amidst all the fancy foods at Keg and Case Market in St. Paul, Minn., one of the most popular stops for any visitor is K’Nack.

Emily Strunk, Associate, Mayer Brown Law Firm

Small meat processors and federal regulation

Working with Washington: Small processors sometimes struggle with the regulatory environment, though there have been victories for common sense.

Sam Gazdziak

April 22, 2019

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Federal regulation is a necessary part of any meat or poultry processor that wants to sell products outside of its home state. Both sides have the same goal in mind — produce the safest food for the American public.

International Quality Competition for Sausage and Ham Judges

Entering cured meat competitions

The thrill of competition: Cured meat competitions could prove a good learning experience and a great marketing tool.

Sam Gazdziak

April 16, 2019

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Meat competitions are friendly, to be sure. However, the word "competition" should not be overlooked, as many of these state or national events bring together high-quality processors with strong reputations.

Salami with Hazlenuts and Figs as Inclusions

Inclusions in meat products

Addition by inclusion: Adding ingredients like cheese or berries to a sausage product could lead to a new customer favorite.

Sam Gazdziak

April 5, 2019

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Adding an inclusion such as cheese or a combination of inclusions can turn a plain product into a value-added, high-end item. With a wide variety of ingredients from which to choose, processors can unleash their product development creativity and create unique best sellers.

Formulation Strategies | Barbecue Trends

A new spin on barbecue

Classic preparation method expands reach in non-traditional areas and flavors.

Elizabeth Fuhrman

March 15, 2019

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Originally used as a sauce to flavor meat at barbecue restaurants, many different varieties of barbecue exist today, ranging from sweet to sour to spicy and appearing on a multitude of proteins.

2019 Food Safety Report | Consultants Corner

2019 Food Safety Report: Outbreak of incompetence

How the nation's foodborne-illness investigations system is broken, jeopardizing the health and safety of consumers and the industry.

Andrew Lorenz

March 13, 2019

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The variability in capabilities at the state and local levels often results in botched investigations and turf battles, and sometimes there isn't any prevention of illness or reduction in the number of people who become ill or die.

Special Report

2019 Burger Report: Beyond basics

Variety of grinds, textures, toppings appealing to consumers.

Richard Mitchell

March 4, 2019

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The burger sector is turning into an increasingly complex and opportunistic protein market.

Kraig Westerbeek and Stewart Leeth of Smithfield Foods

Cover Story | Smithfield Foods

Smithfield Foods: Power players

In its quest to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent by 2025, Smithfield Foods has made significant leaps forward, through innovative manure-to-energy technology and total supply-chain assessment and reorganization.

Andy Hanacek

February 21, 2019

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In December 2016, Smithfield Foods — the world's largest pork processor and hog producer — made known to the world its plan to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 25 percent across its entire supply chain by the year 2025.

Greg Wiviott, Todd Waldman, Brian Levy and Jay Wiviott

A return of  epic ProPortion

With a catastrophic fire in its past, ProPortion Foods' future includes strong growth and a state-of-the-art new facility.

Sam Gazdziak

February 20, 2019

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When ProPortion Foods decided that it would leave its Los Angeles home for a new, larger facility in Round Rock, Texas, the family-owned business worked out a plan.

Independent Processor 2019 Meat Industry Outlook

Despite trade and economic questions,  the outlook for the New Year looks bright.

Sam Gazdziak

February 19, 2019

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Taken as a whole, 2018 was a strong year for the U.S. economy, and the New Year should keep the momentum rolling. There are concerns ahead, such as the trade war with China and the partial shutdown of the U.S. government (as of press time) that could slow the country's growth.