Articles by Richard Mitchell

There is perhaps nothing as crucial in the processing of meat and poultry as safeguarding proteins from foreign objects.

With many workers using potentially dangerous chemicals to sanitize facilities and machinery, the prospect of sickness or injury looms.

With meat and poultry producers and supermarket meat department operators determined to protect proteins from pathogens and other contaminants, garment suppliers look to develop more effective designs.

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.

The U.S. is an outlier in the move by major meat-producing countries to create systems that track meat back to its source. Unlike many other nations, the U.S. has no mandatory national traceability guidelines for domestic producers.

Marinating is playing a major role in driving convenience-minded consumers to the meat case.

Process controls play a key role in the effective operation of meat and poultry plants. By setting performance targets for workers and having a system that identifies whether the objectives are being met, processors can quickly gauge plant efficiencies and identify areas for improvement.

While concerns about health issues such as obesity, diabetes and heart attacks scare many consumers away from foods cooked in breading and batter, a large base of buyers still embrace fried chicken, which remains popular in foodservice and grocery settings.

The breakfast sector is becoming an attractive area of opportunity for meat and poultry merchandisers.