Articles by Richard Mitchell

The push toward a far-reaching meat and poultry traceability system in the U.S. is going slowly.

While many factors including high employee attrition rates affect the eradication of contaminants, perhaps the biggest obstacle is the abundance of plants and equipment that were built years ago with fewer food safety-related features now common to newer designs.

Marinated meat and poultry is becoming more popular and lucrative for processors and retailers.

The greater consumer focus on healthier living is altering the design of meat, poultry and seafood selections that contain batter and breading.

In conveyor and belting circles, cleanliness might indeed be next to godliness.

Employing workers who have the competency to produce high-quality quality meat and poultry in an efficient and safe manner is a foremost aim of protein plant operators.

While turkey remains the dominant center of the plate protein for Thanksgiving, consumption of such alternatives as pork, lamb, beef and chicken are on the upswing as more consumers seek variety, novelty and affordability when preparing for seasonal gatherings.

With such factors as price, convenience, wellness and sustainability on their minds, more consumers are seeking precise varieties of proteins, including packages with specific portions.

Although a slew of systems are taking shape and likely to become more active or launch in the coming years, thermal processing still is the dominant pasteurization method for enhancing food safety in meat and poultry.

Not only are cooking technologies more efficient, but market interest in ready-to-eat and heat-and-eat meat and poultry is growing.