Packaging

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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.

Form-fill-seal has moved steadily over the years to become a major packaging force for retail proteins. “It’s only rivaled by shrink bags,” declares one packaging veteran. “Certainly in North America it’s dominant largely on the flexible side.”

Filling a sandwich is not particularly difficult, unless it is being done on an industrial scale with a throughput of thousands of sandwiches per hour. One American business is making a determined effort to further automate the process.

Approximately 7 billion hot dogs are eaten between Memorial Day and Labor Day each year with 150 million eaten on July 4 alone, according to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC).

Resealable packaging has become a reasonably common feature available to shoppers, especially among ready-to-eat meats. As with next-day delivery, we love the convenience. Use what you want, reseal the package and put it in the fridge. But, is that all? Is there more to resealability than cursory convenience?

Before the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, consumers were buying a wide variety of meat cuts, from pre-portioned to bulk. The next few months may either see skewed consumer purchasing decisions or reinforce tried-and-true options.

Last year, a new line of premium pre-sliced sub meats from Land O’Frost inspired the company’s switch to an automatic, high-speed interleaver, stacker and card dispenser.

Since Executive Order 13777 Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda was signed in 2017, Regulatory Reform Task Forces have evaluated and proposed changes to existing regulations to repeal, replace and modify cumbersome requirements. Several labeling requirements for meat and poultry products are under review.