When Sierra Meat and Seafood recently went looking for new grinding equipment, the company needed it to be easy to operate and very reliable.

Greater shopper interest in healthier and safer eating is triggering changes in the production and merchandising of ground meat and poultry.

In just a few short months, any official establishment or retail store that grinds raw beef products will be required to keep grinding records showing the source of all raw materials being used.

Such factors as the versatility of ground meats in a wide range of recipes, the increasing popularity of ethnic meals that leverage ground meats and the typically lower prices of grinds compared with other protein cuts is bolstering consumer interest in the proteins.